Fool
by xLilim
Summary: Complete / When trouble arises in Las Noches, there is no peace. If the sky falls from place, there is no sound. As I watch a woman try to fill the shoes she can't it causes much pain in my awful sympathetic heart. StarkOC
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo does, and I'm sure you all know, so I won't be mentioning this anymore...because will not be taking credit for any characters he created, BUT Cyan de Immortel is mine. :)

**Warnings**: language, violence, sexual situations

**Note**: Fool, Stark x OC. I felt like writing one because I was told to...and it seemed a bit interesting. Prologue is written in Stark's point of view...while the actual story is going to be written in third person. I just wanted to give people a bit of insight.

* * *

Prologue

For as much as I cared, no one would find out how much I hated having been reborn. Life was much simpler when I had nothing to worry about as I have today. There seems to be nothing good in this place, other than false promise of power. I disliked all the other Espada; they were idiots walking, with a lust for power. They wasted their time doing nothing but pester those lower than them. That is how I found Lilinette. It had never been my intention to take up any students because I knew I would die eventually, so why leave behind remnants of myself, but Lilinette was just a child, working as a servant for the lower numbers. Torture befell her often and I started thinking, maybe I could help her.

I remember the first time I approached her. She sat on the ground with broken glass around her, blood on her hands. Her pale green hair fallen over her bright colored eyes. She was still young, yet no one had pity for the girl. Every day I witnessed the mistreating of my fellow Arrancar because they were weak.

The moment I offered Lilinette my hand was probably the same day I detached myself from everyone else. Once Lilinette became my only Fraccion, no one ever ordered her to do anything. No one bothered her. Lilinette was finally at peace.

When the plots against Aizen arose, the others expected me to do something about them. I was not interested, relying on Aizen to take care of his own garbage. I enjoyed ignoring most orders, sleeping and taking it easy, but Lilinette has always kept me working even against my will.

Every day that passes, having to listen to stupid requests like having to take someone training, or even going on mission with other annoying Espada, was forcing me to be something I did not want to. Aizen wanted an army, and I did not want to be a part of it.

Slowly as the seconds go by, feeling the need to wake up diminish, I hear different footsteps in the hallway. Lilinette's footsteps are the only ones I hear around this place, but they were not hers. I awaken from my slumber letting out a yawn while pulling myself out of my comfort. Whoever was outside was walking back down the hall, calm, collective steps belonging to a woman.

I headed towards the entrance of my room and opened the door quietly. I peered outside curiously to prove my assumption. It was a fact. A woman walked down the hall, taking small reluctant steps towards Aizen's room. She was probably another one of his play toys; she certainly did fit the role. Small frame, long light-colored hair, deep curves, and desirable attire, but she did not seem like one of them.

She turned her face and I instantly recognized her. Pale-blue eyes and full lips, she was the newest Arrancar in Las Noches. I walked out of my room, seeing as the woman who was to either become an Espada, or just thrown into the other numbers had discovered me.

Before she could speak, her eyes glinted and looked away. I found it odd that I could not bring myself to speak until I heard Lilinette approaching my room. I turned away from the woman and saw Lilinette, whose face went pale once she saw me.

"What?" I questioned, confused.

"You woke up without me having to do the work!" she replied, delighted. "Good job Stark, this is the first step to becoming a more dependant Espada."

I sighed unenthusiastic. "That's delusion." I turned around, in search of the pretty female who was walking towards Aizen's room, but now, she was nowhere in the hallway, nor were her footsteps heard.

"What's wrong Stark?"

"Lilinette, I'm sure I told you before…" I began slowly, trying to figure out a way to ask, without making myself seem too interested. "But, what was the name of the new Arrancar?"

Lilinette took a pensive stance, stretching her legs widely. "I think you said it was Cyan de Imortell. She's the talk of all the other Espada since she might replace one of them."

"I hope she replaces me—ARGH!" I cried as Lilinette kicked my leg.

"Don't say that! No one can replace you Stark!" she stated, her hands on her hips.

I sighed, defeated. I could not believe no one out there had replaced me yet. I hate this place. There is never enough time to rest, not enough time to go out and get fresh air without somebody plotting against Aizen near me, knowing I will not do anything. At this rate, I will start the plotting, who would suspect me, la Primera Espada?


	2. The Shame

Chapter One: The Shame

At the light of dawn, the Espadas were to meet. Aizen had made the decision overnight over which current Espada would be rewarded with a demotion because of the newest Arrancar, the beautiful woman with small traces of her mask on top of her head. The Espada were against this new Arrancar, saying a common Hollow with little Reiatsu had absolutely no right to become an Arrancar, let alone an Espada. Ignoring all complaints, Aizen created this Arrancar. Her power grew greatly after the process, frightening many of the Espada.

Aizen sat before his current Espada while the tea came around to everyone; Cyan was nowhere in sight. Stark sat with his arms crossed, staring at the ceiling bored, but keeping a straight face. The others were calmly chatting, obnoxiously ranting, or saying nothing at all.

Aizen took a sip of tea and set it down, welcoming his Espada to the room, gaining absolutely no response. It was understandable since it had happened many times before, being demoted was not an enjoyable idea for the Espada.

"It's good that you were all able to attend," Aizen began.

"Where's the woman?" the elderly Espada sitting almost at the end of the table, questioned interrupting Aizen.

Aizen smirked. "Cyan could not attend the meeting."

Everyone's head went blank. If she were going to replace someone, why would she not attend? Does she get certain privileges we were denied? Those were the only thoughts circling around the large table.

"You're all wondering who she will be replacing, I presume?" Aizen said raising an eyebrow, catching on to what his Arrancar were probably puzzled over.

They remained quiet.

"She will not be an Espada," Aizen stated, standing up. "You can all return to your rooms." After Aizen left the room, the puzzled Espada remained seated, all except Stark, who suddenly felt a bit intolerable, and Halibel, the only female Espada, who felt no reason to stay behind.

"Aizen made such a big deal over nothing," a large Espada stated, angrily.

"Maybe she was one of those Arrancar that died quickly," a pink-haired Espada suggested.

"This is stupid," a blue-haired Espada with a jaw remnant on his cheek stated, leaving the room.

The raven-haired Espada with green lines running down his eyes said nothing before leaving his seat. He knew that if the woman were to replace anybody, numbers one through six were safe. It made sense why the numbers below six would make such a big deal over nothing.

"That is a possibility," the dark-skinned Espada replied, agreeing with Syarel Apporo Grantz, the pink-haired Espada.

Rumors continued to fill Las Noches with false hope and promise, since Aizen did not explain the reasons why Cyan did not become an Espada. Everyone wonder about it openly, each of them making up their own assumptions. Even more because Cyan had not been seen in Las Noches since the week of her birth, Syarel Apporo began spreading lies about how she was killed by Aizen because of her insolence, but only idiots like the lower numbers, believed them.

Stark became the only Espada not falling into the rumors because unlike the rest of them, he knew where Cyan was. He was probably the only one in the entire palace, other than Aizen, Gin, and Tousen, that heard her walking down his hallway, towards Aizen's room. For whatever reason, she kept a secret.

Incredibly annoyed, Stark woke up from his nap, before Lilinette showed up to bother him. He pulled his sluggish body out of the comfort of the stacked pillows on the ground and stormed towards the door. Stark pulled his door open loudly, scaring the woman walking down the hall.

"You," he stated, pointing at her. "Get in here before I kill you."

"I'm under Aizen-sama's order to not listen to orders given to me by the other Espada," she stated.

"I understand, but, you probably don't," Stark stated. "I ordered you to come inside before I kill you. Do you want to die, Cyan de Imortell?"

Cyan shook her head, letting the slip of paper in her hand fall. She approached Stark, who instantly pulled her into his room, shutting the door and locking it. He pushed her against the wall, analyzing her unchanging expression even while his face was so close to hers. He moved away from her, walking towards the window. "You are one of them, it seems," he stated with a sigh.

"What?" she questioned.

Stark turned around. "You're Aizen's toy."

Cyan shook her head. "You're only making assumptions like the others."

"Cyan, stop walking so slowly down the hallway, it's annoying." Stark ignored her previous accusation, to complain about how her resonating footsteps never let him sleep.

"I'm sorry." Cyan looked towards the door. "I'll walk faster from now on."

Stark looked at her. "I thought you weren't taking orders from the Espada?" he questioned, rubbing the back of his head as he yawned.

"You threatened to kill me."

"If you didn't come inside and well, you're already in here, why would I kill you?" he asked, sitting down on the pile of pillows.

Cyan looked taken aback. "W-well—"

"It doesn't matter to me what happens to you, just that they get rid of you," Stark interrupted.

"Then, you are like the others?"

"I'm not making assumptions, nor am I listening to the rumors being spread," he replied, placing his hands on his knees. "I just want you to know that I don't care what happens to you, but if you're going to get killed, I hope it happens soon."

"You're cruel."

"I'm annoyed by you."

"I haven't done anything."

"You pace back and forth in the hallway all night long, haven't you ever considered how other Arrancar feel?" Stark sighed, trying to calm down. His sleeping habits were making him cranky; to say such meaningless things to the woman he just met.

"I don't have to care if I'm going to die, do I?" she asked.

Stark sighed. He was not sure what he was getting at, talking to Cyan as if he truly despised her. He shook his head, holding it in his hands, closing his eyes. "You can go to Aizen now, I won't stop you."

"What's wrong with you?" Cyan asked, curiously.

"I want to sleep, that's all."

Cyan nodded, her pale blue eyes diming with less enthusiasm, similar to the first time Stark had the chance to meet her. She looked like she could commit suicide at any minute. She looked out the window; the moon was shining brightly, unveiling all of Hueco Mundo. Before she left, Stark ignored her, even after she bid farewell to him. He was tired, but not necessarily of her, but of Aizen. He became the self-proclaimed ruler of Hueco Mundo, had many build this palace for him, and then gave many Hollows rebirth. _Many were thankful, but I was fine being a Hollow_, Stark told himself, lying back on the pillows.

Lilinette stormed into Stark's room, harassing him awake. Stark stared at her confused, rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong?" he questioned, knowing that his hopeful wishing of having a good night's sleep was impossible. "This better be good."

"That Cyan woman, she was taken in by Nnoitra, supposedly as a part of his Fraccion, but knowing him, that's just bull," Lilinette stated.

Stark yawned. "That's it?"

"Well, I thought she was going to be an Espada, not a part of a Fraccion," Lilinette explained. "I was sure that she'd replace someone in the lower ranks since I was able to sense her reiatsu before and it was much more powerful than Zommari,"

"Well, Aizen didn't make her an Espada and she probably never will become one," Stark stated, "Don't concern yourself with rumors."

"Then, it's a lie?"

"What is?"

"That Cyan was in your room last night?" Stark's expression changed when she mentioned that half of the rumors, sending Lilinette into some serious suspicion.

"That's just a rumor," Stark replied, calmly.

Lilinette kicked his leg harshly. If he was not going to tell her the truth, she would torture it out of him.

"What was that for?" he complained, rubbing his leg.

"Stop lying to me, I'll hit you harder next time!" she shouted, balling her hands into fists.

"Fine, fine, Cyan was here," he admitted. "Just calm down."

"What did you bring her in for?"

"I was tired and I can't sleep with her walking back and forth in the hallway every night," he replied. "I just told her to stop pacing."

"Don't you sleep enough already?" she questioned. "Why are you yelling at other Arrancar because they're pacing, if they wanna do it, let them be."

Stark looked away. He knew she would not understand. If he would tell her that he pretended to get her into bed to see what kind of woman she was, Lilinette would only yell or kick him. If she could only understand, why he hated listening to her walking back and forth, Stark would be happy.

"Lilinette," Stark began. "I'm tired. I sparred with an Arrancar earlier, and I need to rest."

Lilinette stared at him strangely, but nodded understandingly. "I'll be back later then."

Lilinette left the room and hours later, it started again, her footsteps, no matter how far she was or how near, he could hear them loud and clear. He could not fall into slumber. Cyan was back, roaming around the corridors once again in the middle of the night.

Stark's eyes snapped open in mild sleep-deprived rage. He pulled himself off the comfort of his handmade bed and stomped towards the door of his room, pulling it open noisily. Cyan stood a couple feet away from his door facing him with extravagant eyes. Her hands trembled as she reached to run her fingers continuously through her light pink hair.

Stark stared at her strangely. She was fidgeting. Why was she nervous?

"I…" she began, stuttering. "I-I'm sorry to bother you a-again Stark."

"You demented woman, why can't you let me sleep?" Stark questioned, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm ashamed to s-say this, b-but, I-I-I w-wanted to see you again," she mumbled nervously, breaking down.

Stark stared at her, wide-eyed. Never had he expected this from her.


	3. Irreversible

Chapter Two: Irreversible

Cyan, dreadful witch, was currently standing in front of Stark, shaking and confessing her true intentions were that she was pacing back and forth to annoy him because she wanted to see him again. This was something so serious that a door slammed in her face would not force her to turn around and leave. In all seriousness, he truly wished he had the heart to slam the door in her face, but seeing as he did not, he simply sighed as he leaned against the doorframe.

Cyan looked perfect. So long as he only admitted the fact to himself, he did not need to look around to make sure no one listened. He shook his head not knowing what the perfect words were to make her turn away and leave. Therefore, instead of plainly insisting in any form, he did the first thing that came to mind. "Leave," he stated. "You shouldn't be here. I will not keep you either."

Cyan was fidgeting, something he had never seen before in an Arrancar. Was this her defect? She was plainly sick in the head. He glared at her. "Do I have to threaten you every time I want something done?" He asked, annoyed.

Cyan shook her head. "I'll leave," she said nervously, turning around. Stark did not understand what happened afterword, or his own reasoning as to why he pulled her into his room, shutting the door with his foot and slamming her on the ground.

She stared at him, eyes wide. Stark leaned down towards her face carefully. Her hands were trembling beneath his grasp. He could not look at her, or else he felt he would drown in her; so instead, he closed his eyes tightly and took her lips onto his. She struggled beneath him, trying to push him off. He pulled his lips away from hers and stared at her face. Her eyes seemed terribly sad. Her arms over her chest defensively while her legs lay on the ground in an odd position. Stark figured that what he had done was not right, but being so intimately close to her it would have driven him into insanity if he had not done it.

He pulled himself away from her, sitting down beside her. Cyan did not respond. She only lay on the ground, trying to regain her breath. There truly was something strange about her, something he could not figure out.

"Stark." Her voice seemed frail and far away.

"Hmm," Stark grumbled.

"I did not wish to be reborn."

His interest piqued, Stark glanced over at her face. There was a mixture of confusion and pain embedded in her once serene expression. She laid her arm over her forehead shielding her eyes. "Since the day I died, I never wanted to be reborn."

"Are you saying you recall your first—?"

Cyan nodded slowly. Her memories of her human life remained etched in her mind like a curse, a constant reminder of why her name became Cyan de Imortell. "I died and waited," she continued, throwing out pieces of her tale. "I waited and watched others disappear, but I remained. I did not want to be reborn; I wanted to perish once the chain broke off."

"You became a Hollow," Stark finished.

"Regrettably," she added. "Centuries later I was reborn into this."

Stark looked away. Cyan shared the same feelings he had about being reborn. Stark looked back at his Hollow life wondering where it went wrong. Was it the endless boredom that forced him to consume others as a pastime, or was it the disturbance when Aizen first stepped foot in this land?

"I do not like my Arrancar form," Cyan started, placing her other hand over her chest. "It resembles the body I once possessed while I was a human. It is disgusting—"

Stark smiled. Finally, another nutcase he could relate to, even a little. His hand lay over hers. Cyan stared up at the back of his head, startled. "Why did you become a part of an Espada's Fraccion if you hate yourself so much?" Stark questioned curiously.

"I was forced in by Nnoitra," Cyan replied. "I may have pitied the man, so I joined. He expects me to be at his disposal, but I cannot do this. I would have preferred death over this now."

Pulling his hand away from hers, Stark got up to his feet. "Well, you're already become a part of the army, there's no chance of you dying so easily," he began, yawning halfway through the sentence. "You might as well just wait for someone to cut you down, but then again, if the rumors continue…I'm pretty sure no one will want to try."

"Which rumors?" she questioned, slightly confused.

Stark laughed, leaving her questioned unanswered. He returned to the comfort of his bed and sat upon it watching over Cyan's body. The expression in her eyes unchanging, still maintaining the same lost and confused look. The reason why she had not become an Espada was obvious at this point. If Stark had not paid attention during her rebirth, he probably would not have noticed the large gap missing from her reiatsu.


	4. Torment, Despair, Addiction

Chapter Three: Torment, Despair, Addiction

Tranquility returns to Las Noches after the disappearance of Cyan. No longer are there ghostly footsteps looming through every corridor. Her scent cannot be smelled from the afterglow of her passing. Passively sprawled over his mount of pillows, Stark found it difficult to sleep. Even though it was quite displeasing, now, there was no reason for him not to sleep. Either way, with Cyan lurking about or without her, but maybe there was just something wrong with him. The thought of her made him shudder as he pulled himself up. If only he could find a way to exhaust his body enough to embrace sleep the minute he put his head down.

Stark stood, slipping out of his room, unnoticed. There was no one around to speak to since Lilinette had already excused herself to her room, and the only other person that came to mind…well, she certainly was not anyone he wanted to meet up with now. Scared that if he showed any sign of comfort around her, would lead her to become attached. Was it that bad? Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he agreed with himself. It would be tasteless if Cyan sided with him so easily, with or without his comfort around her.

The halls were indeed terribly long and hollow, Stark though, annoyed. Slowly, halfway down the hall he realized something…and used his Sonido to quicken the dreaded process.

Leaving the large dome, Stark stood outside taking in the thick, cold air. Staring at the unchanging sky, recalling the years he had spent roaming around before serving Aizen. A surge of energy caught his attention, his eyes staring straight ahead, staring at the convulsion of power arising into the night sky. A silhouetted figure appeared before his eyes, approaching Las Noches.

His eyes widening slightly, after taking in the full sight of Cyan approaching the dome covered in blood, her eyes seemed indifferent, and her clothing was still intact. The blood etched on her clothes obviously belonged to someone else. Cyan's gaze met his for a mere second before looking towards the entrance of Las Noches. Stark did not move from his place even when she was close to him, but it was unlike her to only glance and turn away before entering. What happened?

Stark turned around completely, staring at the door as it closed behind the ghostly trail Cyan abandoned. Placing his hand on his head, he let out an exhausted sigh.

* * *

Nnoitra lurked around the halls, which he predicted were in use by Cyan early in the morning as well as late at night. He had known that she was fond of wandering around even if others viewed her intentions incorrectly. Plainly, the only motive why he was intending to stalk Cyan was to figure out the little truth that Aizen refused to tell. It was the best way to pass time, instead of looking around for someone to scare. Cyan was probably the toughest Arrancar to get a hold of, even if she was a part of his Fraccion. She certainly did not act the part and Tesla had something to say about her already.

Tesla walked down the hall, looking straight ahead towards Nnoitra's bedroom, but found himself being slammed onto the wall by the Espada he searched for. "Nnoitra-sama," he muttered, frightened slightly.

"Where's that woman?" Nnoitra questioned, angry.

"Cyan just left her room, Nnoitra-sama," Tesla replied.

Cyan, Cyan, Cyan, everything in Las Noches revolved around that filth, Nnoitra thought stomping down the hall. There were rumors arising all around, each of them speaking of short accusations of the woman. What had she done? Why was it so essential to keep her alive as an Arrancar? Other defects were instantly killed or cast away into the basement of Las Noches.

"Nnoitra," the small voice called. Alert, Nnoitra turned around quickly, swinging his large zanpaku-to at the woman standing behind him. Cyan pulled her zanpaku-to up quickly before his hit her. She stared at him expressionless. She was obviously not afraid. "Kill me once I've fulfilled my purpose for you, until then, do not raise your sword at me."

"Don't tell me what to do, you bitch!" Nnoitra shouted, shoving Cyan into the wall. She cringed at the small stab on her lower back.

Cyan pressed her hand against the wall as she slipped down, making her body fall purposely to give her master the pleasure of hurting her and walking away. Nnoitra stood before her, watching her fall on the ground like a broken doll, there were no signs of injury, not like a normal weak woman. She was unharmed. Why was her skin so strong?

"It hurts," Cyan mumbled in fake distress, pulling her body up to a seat. Acting was simple, seeing as how well she remembered her past.

Nnoitra scoffed, turned away and left, his mind wondering what he had to do to get rid of her. Cyan's eyes remained on Nnoitra's back, watching him leave. Surely, the shame of becoming a part of an Espada's Fraccion was her way of punishing herself. Aizen had made it clear that she was free to do whatever she wished.

"Cyan." Her eyes wandered around the hall until they fell upon Stark. It made absolutely no sense to her how he managed to appear before her. She looked away, still sitting against the cracked wall as Stark walked closer to her. Embarrassed, she felt too dizzy to pull herself up. Her mind was playing tricks on her.

Stark bent over slowly, grabbing Cyan's arm and pulling her to her feet. Cyan turned towards him flabbergasted and hesitant. Stark let go of her arm. Cyan tried to walk forward, but found her leg bending, causing her to fall. Stark reached his arm over and caught her, pulling her up once more.

"You're being mistreated," he began. Cyan pulled away from his grasp.

"I was acting," she confessed, looking down.

"Are you afraid?"

"Of?" she questioned lightly, not looking at him.

"What you're feeling."

"I thought my well-being didn't concern you." Stark seemed taken aback by her words, even though he had told her around a week ago that he wished she were dead. He did not mean it as much as it seemed.

Stark rolled his eyes and walked away, deserting Cyan on purpose. If he stood there any longer, he would have made a bigger fool of himself. Even if he was in a bad mood that night because of her and he may have gone much farther by wishing her dead, he could not just admit he never meant anything. Cyan may have been a woman, but she seemed to be the type that would get the wrong idea.

* * *

_Again, again, again, again, again, again…I feel a terrible. There is something burning at my insides, telling me to let go. I ask, time and time again, but I am not aware of what to let go of. What do I need to do? What have I done?_ Cyan's mind was going insane. Her sleeping quarter was remarkably small compared to the Espada. Though she had often been considered a favorite, she was not treated as anything other than a common Arrancar. Even though Cyan put a lot of thought into trivial matters, she hardly cared for them.

Cyan rolled over on the cold floor, staring at the darkened ceiling. The dim light coming from the miniscule window managed to light up a square in her room. It told her she was still alive after so many years. Instead of thinking about the rumors and pests that bother her in Las Noches, the things floating about in her mind where the amount of years she spent in Hueco Mundo.

"Around two-hundred, or possibly more," Cyan whispered, curiously. "It may have been more." It had definitely been more.

A knock at her door startled her. Cyan jolted to a seat and scurried towards the door, opening it, her heart beating out of her chest from the scare. Her eyes widened at the sight of Stark, leaning against the doorframe staring down at her.

"You were being called."

Cyan stood straight, unaware. "By whom?" she asked.

"Me."


	5. Terror Rising

Chapter Four: Terror Rising

_Eternally, I was lost within the cold, white desert. It became common knowledge what I would have to do here. My problem was deciding whether I would be able to survive in this harsh environment. Thinking much about it did not occur until after I climbed up the evolution chain. Unlike many other Hollow within this world, I had no one to rely on; for me, it was kill or be killed. I chose to devour as many Hollows I could, preying on those who posed a threat against me. For a short second, I wanted to live._

Cyan paced back while Stark let himself inside her room, shutting the door behind him. Her eyes full of fear, awaiting some kind of defeat, even though she was not aware why she should be afraid. Rapid thoughts crept into her mind, possibly someone had granted her the death wish she sought for after becoming an Arrancar. After all, if she had no worth, why did Aizen choose to keep her around?

"You sure are strange," Stark began, walking closer to her. Cyan nervously stepped back cautiously. "Someone of your power shouldn't care for human emotions." Stark noticed her body trembling in both fear and anxiety. Her eyes were overwhelmed in sadness. There was something different about her. He ignored her presence but somehow she managed to glide into his thoughts. When he was aware she was on the other side of the palace, he wondered if she would walk to where he was to bother him. She was like that piece he was missing.

He cornered her against the wall unconsciously, staring down at her glistening eyes; her gentle hands pressed themselves against her chest. He reached for her hand, gingerly touching it, feeling how smooth her skin was. "I do not dislike you, Cyan," he said, his eyes on her hands avoiding her expression. "But, I can't seem to tolerate you either."

A smile appears on her face, her heart beating faster. "You might be the only person in this place that may understand me," she whispered, looking at how his hand held hers.

Stark frowned, moving away from her. "Mood-killer," he mumbled, letting go of her hand and walking out the door. Cyan let out a sigh, unable to understand his actions. After she heard him say he disliked her, she did not mind, but now he is saying the opposite. Her confusion was big enough to fill the entire room. Maybe all Espada were like that. Possibly all except Nnoitra, for some reason she could read that man like a book. Maybe, Stark was the only Espada that had formed a relationship with her. It might be time for her to meet the other Espada.

"If I do leave, what are the chances of dying?"

* * *

Hours after Stark had left Cyan's room, he found himself pacing across the length of his room and back. There were no thoughts plaguing his mind that concerned her. The door to his room opened noisily. He stopped pacing and looked over to see Lilinette staring at him in disbelief.

"What?" he inquired.

"You're not sleeping," she replied. "What's wrong?"

"I already slept."

"That's good, maybe you can assert your title and stop letting that old man control everyone in here," Lilinette suggested.

"I'm not interested in that sort of thing," Stark replied, plopping down on his handmade bed, his head in his hands.

Lilinette looked angry. She crossed her arms over her chest and remembered why she decided to visit him. "Oh, the rumors about you and that lady stopped," she said.

"You're still talking about her?"

"Well, I was scared that you might be interested in her."

"What kind of _interested_ are you referring to, Lilinette?"

"Well, the kind where you're the one asking her to your room all the time."

Stark laughed. "I think her to be too busy to spend all her time with me."

"Then she refused your offer?"

"I never asked."

"What nerve she has!" she went on without waiting for his response. Stark rolled his eyes and yawned.

"Lilinette, it's useless to talk to that woman, she's still as emotional as any human being," Stark replied. "That might be the reason why she didn't become an Espada, the fact that her human and Arrancar sides have been clashing inconsistently."

"Wouldn't that make her practically human?"

"Yes, and that's her defect." Stark had already concluded his theory watching her emotions come to play many times before. It was strange for an Arrancar to have too many human characteristics that were not related to physical appearances.

Lilinette remained quiet for a small while before a loud scream was heard. Stark shot up from his seat unconsciously. Lilinette stared at him curiously. "Who was that?" she inquired.

* * *

"Yer subordinates are gettin' outta control," Ichimaru Gin stated, looking at Aizen. Aizen smirked, resting his head in his hand. It was not anything new to have an uproar in Las Noches. The Arrancar would always fight regardless of the change. Aizen looked over at a dark-skinned man.

"Kaname," Aizen said.

Tōsen Kaname nodded walking towards the door. "I'll check on Cyan." Kaname left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Cyan?" Gin inquired mockingly.

"Only the Espada matter," Aizen said. "The rest can massacre each other."

"I thought Cyan was yer favorite."

"I'm waiting for her to show her true power, Gin," Aizen said, carefully. "After that, she'll be more than useful."

Gin laughed and walked away. "I should probably pay her a visit too," he said. "I haven't seen her in quite some time and I kinda miss her."


	6. Fallen

Chapter Five: Fallen

Cyan sat against her wall, beside her small bed. Her pale blue eyes staring off into the empty, dark ceiling as her mind flooded with thoughts. She moved her knees closer to her chest, placing her fingertips on her knees drawing circles. She was thinking about a time when she had felt like she was feeling presently. A sense of loneliness filling the entire room, yet she knew it was not normal to feel so desolate. When was the first time she had felt helpless, but so understood at the same time? Every word that had ever come out of Stark filled her thoughts. Why did all of his words make so much sense?

She sighed, irritated and stood up. She fixed her white jacket and picked up her sword from the ground. She wondered about the other Espada, out of pure curiosity, since she had only met four out of six. She met Stark under extraordinary means, he threatened her as she made her way to Aizen's room, delivering a message Gin had omitted from some sort of conversation they had. When she met Stark, she did not think much of him, seeing as how after she was born he left the room with a yawn carelessly, but a few nights later, he showed his true colors, causing her emotions to stir. The next Espada she had met was the old man, Barragan, who glared at her angrily asking for her name. Cyan gave her name, but he laughed at her mockingly, exchanging a few words of how worthless it must be to be alive. Cyan ignored his taunts, not wanting to get in trouble with Aizen, who warned her about the Espada being exceptionally ruthless against new members, but he never banned her from using her blade against them.

The third Espada she had run into was a ruthless man named Grimmjow, who as many had already, glared and asked for her name. Cyan responded, expecting a similar situation like the one she had with Barragan, but Grimmjow shrugged and pushed his hands in his pockets. Cyan stood in front of him, clueless about the situation, but he did not say much. He had a bad attitude and she felt it radiating all around the hall. Though she felt more fear being around Grimmjow, she was not threatened by him. Cyan excused herself from his presence, seeing as she still had things to attend. Directly after her meeting with Grimmjow, she had a run in with Nnoitra, the Espada she was currently serving. She was immediately cornered by him and asked numerous questions. He looked like a creepy man, not as violent as Grimmjow seemed, but the vibe coming from him made her want to stay away from him. She did not need to give her name to him, since he already knew it. She wondered what was so great about knowing who she was. There was clearly nothing special about her.

Cyan walked towards the door to her room. She turned the knob and pushed it, but it did not budge. Her expression fell into a sordid frustration. She pushed her sword inside her sash. She stared at the unmoving door and placed her foot flat against it, breaking it down as if it was a mere stepping-stone. She heard a muffled scream and jumped off the broken door, picking it up to see two Arrancar women glaring daggers at her with crimson eyes. "Forgive me," Cyan began. "I had no idea you two were obstructing my door. If I had, I would have used other means to get out."

The two women stood up and Cyan faintly recognized them from a while ago. "So, you're the new whore whose sleeping around with everyone in Las Noches?" the violet haired girl questioned, throwing a disgusted look Cyan's way.

Cyan stared at them wordlessly. "Rumors are rumors, realities are hard to come by," she replied, turning away and walking.

"Hey, we haven't finished talking to you!" the dark haired one exclaimed.

Cyan stopped, turning towards them slowly. The two girls stepped away at the sudden surge that filled the room, leaving cracks against the wall, running towards them. The look on Cyan's face seemed unmoved and peaceful, but she looked back and noticed Grimmjow standing behind her. "Excuse me," she said, moving away and leaving. Cyan's hair swayed along behind her as her eyes turned a darker shade of blue with a tint of red. She heard a loud scream and then an explosion erupted, obliterating the entire hallway. Cyan managed to disappear before the explosion consumed her, appearing over the wreckage, staring down at Grimmjow who had a large pleased smile on his face, the massacred bodies of the crimson-eyes twins lay near him in pieces. His cold stare met hers and he stared at the playful smile on her lips.

"Was that all your troubles, woman?" he asked, irritated.

"I did tell you I would take care of them," she replied, appearing behind him. "There was no need to kill them."

"You wouldn't have done it," he stated. "You've decided to stay out of trouble."

Cyan chuckled, covering her mouth when he glared at her. "It wasn't mockingly, I swear," she said, moving away from him. As she walked towards the other side of the wreckage, she noticed many coming their way. "I think Tōsen and Ichimaru might be coming this way," she clarified, aloud.

"I'm leaving."

"Thanks again, Grimmjow-sama," she said, smiling at him. Grimmjow snarled and used sonido to get away.

Cyan walked down the hall, Tōsen appearing in front of her. She bowed respectfully and walked past him. Tōsen turned around. "Who was the one who screamed?" he asked in a serious tone.

Cyan stopped. "The situation has been taken care of," she replied, carelessly. She looked up, noticing Gin standing in front of her with his trademark creepy smile. She stared at his face intently.

"Been a while, hasn't it Cyan-chan?" he asked, playfully.

"I'll inform Aizen-sama," Tōsen stated after analyzing the scene, walking past Cyan and Gin.

"Aizen sent you?" she asked, still looking at him.

Gin shook his head. "Actually, that Tōsen jus' came 'cause he wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

Cyan looked down, smiling slightly. "Me, hurt?" she inquired. "I haven't made any enemies yet."

"Those dead Arrancar over there are proof of enemies," Gin said, pointing to the bloody remains.

"In any case, my room was destroyed, I need a new one," she said, her arms folded over her chest.

Gin's smile grew wider. "Well aint that a shame."

Cyan shrugged and bowed respectfully. "Excuse me," she stated, walking past him Gin's hand shot towards her and grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her back in front of him and turned her around. "What?"

"There are plenty empty rooms for Fraccion like you, browse around 'til you find one to yer likin', if not, yer always welcomed to stay with me again," Gin said slyly.

"It's flattering that you enjoy my company, but I'm not interested in playing weird Shinigami games, you make up."

"You don't mean that." He laughed.

"You'd never let me sleep. So, I'll make sure to find a room to meet my taste."

Gin laughed and vanished. Cyan continued her walk to meet with Nnoitra and Tesla, both of them had been summoned, by his annoying methods earlier that day. She opened her eyes and noticed Tesla standing against a wall, arms crossed. He looked towards her. "I've been waiting for you."

"You shouldn't have," she said. "I'm always late; Nnoitra would get angry if you're late."

"It's troublesome to have to see him treat you so badly."

"You should not care what your master does, you're the one who admires him to no end," Cyan began. "My life is a gamble; I don't care if I sustain petty wounds from a beast like Nnoitra. He clearly doesn't know any better and his hate towards me doesn't bother me."

Tesla could not help but admire her bravery. He knew Nnoitra hated her, he clearly said it to him once, after she deserted them to wander off in Las Noches instead of continuing with the mission at hand. Cyan was the type of solitary woman who ruled over her own actions than have anyone else lead for her. It was still rumored that she is an Espada-level Arrancar, but there is no number there to give her. She was unusually quiet and spent most of her time drawing Kanji on the sand. She was straightforward and slightly intimidating. Tesla did not know what kind of power she possessed and if he would ask, she would probably something along the lines of, '_I'm not very strong, the rumors certainly are getting out of control, don't you think?_'

Nnoitra was standing at the end of the hall, near the one of the exits to Las Noches, his large sword standing against the wall at the exit. He seemed angry, but Tesla apologized for both of them being late. Nnoitra ignored him and glared at Cyan, who shrugged. They followed him outside. Cyan sensed a familiar presence nearby, spying on them; she stopped walking and turned around. She looked up to see Stark staring down at her with a strangely uneasy look in his eyes. He was sitting on his window, his back towards the world, but his head turned only slightly, giving her that strange look. Cyan smiled slightly at him as she heard his young Fraccion storming into his room.

"Stark!" Lilinette shouted, noticing him deep in thought by the window. "Hey!" He did not respond. Lilinette sped towards him, kicking him roughly. Stark lost his balance almost falling out the window, but he managed to grab onto the wall.

"Lilinette!" he shouted, breathing heavily as he stood in front of her.

"What were you looking at?"

"The birds," he lied, walking away.

"There are no birds inside the dome." She glared at him slightly and walked over to the window, peeking outside. She immediately saw flairs of pink hair and realized right away. "You better have been glaring at her, not admiring her from afar."

"You'd think she'd be scared of me, but she only smiles."

Cyan was walking beside Tesla and behind Nnoitra, her hands at her side. Stark could not help but keep his eyes on her; the way she walked seemed almost flawless. "I don't think she sees you as a threat," Lilinette commented, seriously. "You should start taking your positing seriously."

"I don't care for that kind of thing," he stated, again. He felt like a broken record sometimes, but when Cyan was around, he found new things to say. "I can care less if Cyan thinks me as a threat or not."

"She looks harmless; I heard Nnoitra takes advantage of her." Lilinette thought over what she said. "Well, actually, I've seen him too, he's pretty ruthless. Smashing up the wall and making it impossible to interrupt their savage conversing. That Cyan's like a rag doll, she stands there and takes it, and her expression never changes." Lilinette noticed Stark's expression as he saw Nnoitra swing his sword at her from afar. Lilinette turned back, staring at the current scene.

Stark frowned. She dodged his attacks with ease. She knew it made him angry, but if she let his sword meet her skin, it would not cut her. "You'd think he'd keep his Fraccion under control. He must really hate her."

"It's obvious he despises her mere existence." Stark turned away, knowing she would let herself be hit. She must love abuse to be able to cope with Nnoitra's bonding methods.

"Why doesn't he just kill her then?"

"Don't you think he would if he could?" Stark replied, yawning. He wanted to go back to sleep already. It was troublesome to deal with the damn artificial sky, the sun shining brightly into his room all day; he had to sleep with a damn pillow over his face all day.

"How strong is she?"

"She's pretty strong," Stark said, sitting down against the wall.

"How do you know?"

"You should pay attention more often next time you meet with her," Stark said. "She's not hiding her reiatsu at all. Her body absorbs most of it and keeps it inside, but every once in a while it leaks out. She really has no knowledge on restraint."

"She just fired a Cero," Lilinette pointed out.

Stark rushed to the window, seeing the large puff of smoke. Nnoitra walked out of the smoke, battered from the Cero being a direct hit. He moved towards Cyan and she muttered something to him that made him furious, he picked his sword off the sand and swung it at her violently, but she avoided the hits with ease. She frowned and vanished.

What is she thinking? Stark shouted mentally. He hoped she would not show up at his room. That woman was doing things her way, ignoring what everyone else encouraged her to do.

"Do you think Nnoitra will kill her now?"

"He might try; did he attack his other Fraccion?"

"He just beat him and left angrily."

"I'm going to sleep."

"Would you like me to see what will happen?"

"I don't really care."

Lilinette seemed angry, but she left him alone. Stark wanted to know how Cyan would take care of having Nnoitra after her life. He felt some pity towards her. He heard voices outside his door, a feminine stoic voice and a man's voice. It was her, he was positive about it. They were near his room exactly, a few feet from it. There was no sign of her reiatsu at all.

* * *

Cyan had not necessarily run from Nnoitra, she was merely initiating a cat and mouse chase. She had been bored for too long and was growing tired of his insults. She did not put everything into that Cero she fired against him, under his command of course, but he came out of it furious. She hid her reiatsu and walked down the halls unnoticed by the others, until Gin got in her way. She snorted and began to laugh. "Forgive me Gin," she began, covering her mouth. "I have no time to talk; Nnoitra is trying to kill me."

"Aizen won't be happy with you toyin' with his Espada like that," Gin stated. "He's a bit livid."

"At me?" she inquired.

"At Nnoitra for tryin' to kill you," Gin replied, turning around.

Aizen was walking towards them, he looked a bit irritated, but he calmed his expression when he noticed Gin and Cyan, looking at him. He stopped in front of Cyan, placing his hand on her head. "Stop pretending," he said, letting her go and walking down the hall.

"He seems angry at you, now that ya mention it," Gin began.

"How can I hide from Aizen-sama?" she questioned, aloud.

"He'll prolly try not to yell at ya," Gin said. "He'll forget, just go do whatever it is you do."

Cyan nodded, feeling Gin push her slightly. She walked down the hall carefully and noticed she was near Stark's room. She thought about going inside unwanted again, but maybe it was unnecessary with the current situation. She walked past it, but the door opened and Stark walked out. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his room forcefully. Cyan looked around making sure no one saw, she sighed after he closed the door.

"You saw, didn't you?"

Stark nodded.

"Don't think badly of me, he's the one who asked me to fire a Cero at him and I did." Her replied was full of innocence. "It's not my fault he got hurt because he couldn't avoid it. He's furious."

"You should be happy you didn't kill him."

"I know, or else Aizen-sama would be mad at me."

Stark arched an eyebrow. "You would care if he's angry?"

"Wouldn't you?"

Stark did not answer he only looked away. He wondered what he was doing. "So, what's going to happen to you?"

"Nothing, I'm still going to be around."

"I see."

"Were you worried I'd be killed as punishment?"

"It wouldn't bother me."

Cyan sat down on the ground as she stared at Stark. "Is there anything that does bother you?"

"Only thing I can think of is that stupid artificial sky," he replied.

Cyan smiled, biting her lip. "I thought you would say me."

"I thought I straightened that out."

"Then, what do you think?"

"Not much."

Cyan closed her eyes.

"What do you do all day?"

"I like listening to the rumors about me."

"Do you like the attention?"

"Probably just as much as you do," she replied, sincerely. "It's hard to stay in one place all the time because of my lack of a pastime."

"Go to sleep."

"I don't enjoy sleeping."

"There's your problem."

"I'm not as lazy as you are; forgive us for not being entirely alike."

"What are you saying?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

"What?"

"Finding someone like you that you could spend time with, it certainly sounds like you."

"I'm naturally solitary."

"As am I," she replied.

"You should really watch what you say?"

"Why?"

Stark crouched down in front of her, staring at her directly in the eyes. Cyan raised her body slightly, tilting it forward. He did not move. She placed her hand on the ground pushing her body up and with her other hand she grabbed a hold of the back of Stark's head. She expected him to have some sort of reaction, but he did not. His gaze was eating away at her somehow, but she pulled his face towards hers. Her lips brushed against his. Their eyes were still staring into each other until she closed hers, pressing her lips harder against his. Stark's hands grabbed her arms pulling her body over his, his lips reacting to hers in a distinctly rougher manner. Cyan pushed his body on the ground with hers. His hands in her hair as she opened her mouth against his lips. He felt her tongue run along his lower lip and as he was about to give in to her, he pushed her away. Cyan stared down at him curiously.

"Get off," he said with a blank stare.

Cyan moved away from quickly, going back to her seat. He pulled himself up as well, sitting in front of her, his face in his hands. "Forget about that," he said, getting up. He walked to the door and left the room.

Cyan wondered if it had been wrong for her to do something like that because she felt like it. Since the first time he tried to do it, though she was a bit scared, she had been meaning to try it again. She sighed, defeated. He would probably ignore her for a while now.


	7. Tantrum

Chapter Six: Tantrum

When Cyan ceased to exist, things returned to normal around Las Noches. When she decided to vanish, she left no trace for anyone to find her. The tranquility ensued on for days now. Stark stared out his window curiously, waiting for the wind to return and cause more fire within the hearts of others. He might have not been interested in what occurred in Las Noches, but something about Cyan causing the problem made things a bit fascinating. He had not met with her since what occurred ten nights ago in his bedroom, after she had fled from Nnoitra and relied on him to keep her hidden. She took the initiative that he had been weary of since they had met and she was unafraid of what the consequences would be. He leaned against the windowsill, letting out a yawn. He was exhausted and managed to stay up all night for reasons unknown to him. He seemed to concern himself over that woman, the idea particularly bothered him, but it felt right. He remembered her pale face, clear water eyes, and long locks of pale pink hair that cascaded over her bare shoulders. Her hollow mask lay on the side of her head, like broken glass, a shattered heart shaped mask that framed a quarter of her head.

Stark shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath, recalling the heat he felt in the pit of his stomach having her so close to him, her lips crushing against hers, savoring her taste. If he had not stopped himself at that point, who knows what he would have done to her for tantalizing him. His thoughts had caught up with his actions at that moment, when he felt her warm body pressed against his, and he asked himself why he wanted to feel her, taste her, enjoy her. He opened his eyes to a slit, staring directly into the artificial sun, blinding his vision before pulling his arm over his face. He hated it, but during the days he could not find a way to fall back to sleep, the warmth of the light felt pleasant.

He heard a ringing in the distance. Aizen was calling him. He rubbed his eyes and jumped off the windowsill, heading lazily towards the throne room where he would surely meet with Aizen. As he walked down the halls, he began to feel the presence of the other Espada as they neared towards the room, but that did not alert him. He watched Nnoitra enter the room his expression turning into a deep frown once he noticed someone in the room he disliked. Stark immediately noticed without having to sense her _reiatsu_, Cyan was inside that room among the rest of the Espada, even though she did not belong.

He entered, his eyes gazing over towards Cyan who was sitting down against a wall, her knees pulled up to her chest and her hands resting on them as she stared at Aizen. He looked away after she caught him staring and moved towards the other end of the room where he would be unable to see him. The large doors shut as the last two members of the Espada entered. Aizen looked satisfied as he overlooked the lot of Arrancar before him.

Cyan was fiddling with the fabric of her hakama, having been present in the throne room long before the meeting had been called. Unbeknownst to her, Aizen asked her to stay behind for their meeting, who told her he would be sending her to a new mission with another Espada. She would occasionally look around the room to catch a glimpse at Stark but he hid away from her. She heard faint rustling near her and noticed Grimmjow taking a seat a few feet away from her. He shot a glance at her and nodded, while she curiously tilted her head in sheer confusion. He rolled his eyes, ignoring her reaction and waiting for Aizen to hurry up with the chatter.

"The time has come," Aizen began, catching everyone's attention. "I need you all to be prepared to follow orders as I give them, but first things first before getting quaint with any Shinigami paroling around the Human World." Cyan's eyes brightened enthusiastically at the mention of the other world. She had not been on the other side for years since she began hunting in Hueco Mundo. "Cyan," he called, looking over at her. Everyone managed to catch a quick glance at the woman, some who were unfamiliar with her finally put a face on all the rumors. "You'll be the first to head out, and you will clear all the nuisances you come across."

"Why send that woman?" Yammy Rialgo asked, a hint of irritation in his tone, though that was a notable personality trait of his. Cyan looked over at the monstrous, dark-skinned Espada with his mask fragments aligning his jaw. "She has no title among our ranks."

Aizen smirked, without a word. "Make use of your abilities when you're dispatched into the real world," he said, speaking to Cyan, who nodded. Aizen turned towards Yammy. "She may not have a title, but she is as essential as each Espada."

Yammy huffed, angry over that simple response. That woman looked weak; he could tear her in half with his bare hands. The only thing she had going for her was Aizen's favor and looks, other than that she was just another useless female Arrancar in Las Noches. Looking around the room, Yammy was not the only displeased Espada (she was an eyesore), but a few cared less, ignored the situation entirely, or simply glared at her disgustedly.

"You're excused, Cyan."

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she said, turning towards the doors and walking out of the room. The second after she left that room, Stark noticed her _reiatsu _vanish. He began to wonder if his assumptions were wrong about her, about the reason why she did not become an Espada when she became an Arrancar. Was manipulating her own _reiatsu_ a special ability of hers?

* * *

Hours had passed since Cyan's dismissal from the meeting. She found a cozy-looking rock to sit on a long distance from Las Noches, after getting permission from Gin, who offered to accompany her, but she told him she did not need his presence around her. She stared into the endless hills white desert, sprouting dead plants and the illuminating crescent moon over the dark sky. Hueco Mundo was supposed to be like that, but an artificial sky was created within the dome of Las Noches, causing much discomfort to many Arrancar. The sun seemed nice, to stare at it once again, even if it was a fake, but over the years she began to prefer the darkness. She rested her elbows on her knees, and held her head up with both hands; her hair was pulled over one of her exposed shoulders. She kicked the sand beneath her feet. It was a boring day and she had nothing in particular that she wanted to do.

"What's the wicked bitch doin' out 'ere?"

Cyan turned around, not the least bit surprised to see Nnoitra, waving around his huge zanpakutō in the air. He slammed his sword down, causing Cyan to move away from where she sat. It did not matter how often she wanted to be alone, after the accident that happened with Nnoitra ten days ago, Aizen asked her to not become anyone else Fracción, seeing as how things were blown out of proportion. It was obvious that Nnoitra would bare a grudge, she being a woman he belittled by the sight of her, and even asked her to fire a full-powered cero at him. When she did as she was told, even after she warned him not to tempt her, he came out of the smoke furious and prepared to kill her.

She did not answer his rude question and turned away, walking down a different direction, trying to stay out of trouble. "Oi, I'm talkin' ta ya!" he shouted. "Go on ignore me if ya'd like but, I'll still gonna kill ya."

Cyan turned around in time to hop back, avoiding the hard swing he intended for her head. She stared at him, slightly irritated. She did not need to get in more trouble because of some crazy bastard who wanted to kill her no matter what. "I'm not going to fight you," Cyan clarified.

"You don' need to, jus' stand there and die!" he shouted, a grin sprawled across his face. He swung his large blade at Cyan once more, who moved away before it hit her.

"Aizen-sama will punish you," she said, trying to find a way to stop him from making her fight back.

Nnoitra hardly cared for Aizen. If he could have the pleasure of killing Cyan, he would take on any punishment that was thrown at him and he would laugh throughout it. Cyan frowned, reaching for the strawberry-red hilt of her _katana_, she watch Nnoitra's movements, as he speedily appeared behind her and in front of her simultaneously, waving around his double crescent zanpakutō as if it weighed the same as a feather. Cyan noticed her lack of agility during her blockings. His blade would come close to her body, enough to make a chill run up her spine. She drew her blade unwillingly while things started looking dull and she began attacking back. She avoided another strike to her left and swung her blade upwards, trying to strike his head, but he bent back just in time to avoid it. Battling as an Arrancar was definitely new to her, she had just gotten used to the idea of _Resurrección_ and the fact that her sword was the barrier between her and her original form.

She pointed two fingers towards Nnoitra who was about to swing his sword at her again, ten times more violent than the first swing, when he noticed the red Cero shot out towards him, without the need of accumulating any sort of energy to fire it. Nnoitra moved his head to the side, feeling her small Cero graze his shoulder. He snarled. "Yer gonna pay for that," he threatened, tossing the metal link at her, hoping to tie it around her, she jumped away stealthily and trusted her _katana_ towards him. He took that moment and his zanpakutō met with her shoulder, he pulled it back, opening a wound.

Cyan moved away, her hand reaching over the painful cut between her shoulder and neck. She looked pressed her cold fingers against it, wincing at her own careful touch. She was going to end it. "I'm tired of you," she said, glaring at him. She pulled her zanpakutō over her head, raising it high, before turning the blade towards the white sand.

Nnoitra laughed. "Why don' ya just die?" he shouted, lunging himself towards her when she began emitting a large amount of _reiatsu_.

Her cold eyes met his and she opened her mouth, letting her sword fall from her fingertips, "Look—"


	8. Unsightly

Chapter Seven: Unsightly

Cyan looked serious as she let her sword fall towards the ground, uttering a single phrase that caused her usually calm reiatsu to skyrocket. "Look,—"

Nnoitra's eyes widened, preparing himself, using his zanpakutō as a shield. Before the sword could clash against the sand, a hand shot up and grabbed it, pulling Cyan aside as well. Nnoitra blinked, surprised. Cyan looked up, facing Stark, who seemed slightly irritated. He pushed her zanpakutō back into its sheath, staring at the shocked Nnoitra.

"Why—?" she managed to inquire. She was just as confused as Nnoitra was. The thing that baffled her was the fact that Stark managed to catch her sword before it hit the ground, but then again, he was fast.

"Aizen wouldn't be too happy if you killed one of his Espada, even more if you used your Resurrección to do the job," Stark replied knowingly, tugging at her arm leading her away. "Hurry up before they catch on that it was you." Both of them rushed back to Las Noches using sonido.

Nnoitra growled angrily. He froze the minute he felt her _reiatsu _rise so high, but he felt fear when he heard her say the release command of her zanpakutō. After coming face to face with her that way, he was more curious to find out what kind of release she had. She was created away from the eyes of the Espada, in the presence of the two commanders beside Aizen. Nnoitra swung his zanpakutō over his shoulder, feeling the sting where her small Cero hit and walked towards Las Noches, wondering exactly what Cyan was doing with the Primera Espada.

He scoffed. Maybe Stark also wanted to see her dead.

* * *

Cyan was standing slouched against a wall, blowing cool air at her wound while Stark tried to pull the clothing away enough to clean the blood out, but she was making it an impossible task. She kept pushing his hands away unconsciously, continuing her own methods of healing. Stark could tell she had no knowledge in medical treatment, not that he had much either. The only thing he knew how to do was not get hurt to have to seek medical attention. He stared at her solemnly, trying to figure out her reasons for attack Nnoitra. Trying to figure her out in general was proving to be harder than expected. She was just an annoying woman who bothered him by walking down his hall towards his leader's rooms. She seemed like all the other Arrancar at first, who took an interest in someone and served them, but she didn't show interest in anything.

Her eyes met his for a second and that was enough. She slipped away from him and he felt a new sense of irritation fall over him. That woman was becoming nothing but trouble.

Cyan walked back towards her room on the other side of Las Noches, nonchalantly. The wound over her shoulder had closed up, but her clothing was torn slightly at the high neck area. She walked into her room, pushing the door open. She walked inside, undoing the top she had on and tossing it aside, feeling some comfort in her room alone, when she literally felt someone's grin widen. She turned around, covering herself, staring at the hidden Gin in the corner of her new room. "Get out."

"My, my, I never knew I'd find ya in one of yer moods," he replied, standing up, walking closer to her.

"It's not a mood."

"Whoever's been influencing ya is makin' ya brattier," he said, looking down. Cyan pushed his face up with her palm so he'd continue looking at her face. He laughed darkly. "Aizen is sending you out again."

"For the same reason?" she inquired, recognizing the mission being handed to her.

"Same reason," he replied.

"Fine, I'll leave, just get out."

"You're no fun." He turned away, walking out the door. She remembered the first time Stark invaded her room, she felt a tinge of anxiety, even more when he was close to her. She was drawn to him and she wondered if it was the same for him. Even if he was, it didn't concern her; she was to focus on her current job, to serve Aizen. She pulled on a different white jacket on, similar to the first.

She pulled out her sword, looking at the blade, sensing something coming from it. She already knew what was wrong with it. Since Stark stopped her mid-command, the power inside the blade was spilling out. She pushed it back into its scabbard and left her room. She headed back towards the entrance of Las Noches to leave back into the desert, hoping to find Nnoitra so she could stab him out of spite.

* * *

More days pass by, as the Espada keep being tested. Under Aizen's orders, they have been scurrying about the vast desert of Hueco Mundo in search of stronger Hollows. Cyan had stayed behind after she returned from her mystery missions. Stark wondered if there was anything other than hunting for Vasto Lorde, or if that was what she was doing. However, she never brought anything back and always seemed to return covered in blood. He left his room, brushing aside unnecessary thoughts, feeling uneasy as he walked down the halls, hand pushed deep inside his pockets.

As he tried to find somewhere dark to take a nap while the sun continued to govern his usual domain, he stopped a few feet before noticing the wall blow up. Instead of leaving, as his subconscious would have told him if he had one, he stood there, rubbing the back of his head as he noticed blood splatter across the wall. He heard some grotesque thud coming from that general area, making feel little to no curiosity. He listened closing, panting and moaning. When the cloud of smoke faded he recognized the long locks of pink hair, the tips were stained in crimson.

Cyan looked up at him from where she sat straddling a dismantled body. Stark arched an eyebrow, recognizing the fracción beneath her. He shook his head, watching her stand up, her white clothes covered in crimson and in her left hand; she held the Arrancar's arm. Her face had smudges of blood across from her forehead down to her lips. Stark walked towards her making her stop in front of him a look of confusion on her face. He didn't need to ask why she killed the man, but since she did, it wasn't his place to reprimand her. "You look terrible," he started.

Cyan didn't answer; instead, she began pacing around him, staring at him with wonder, watching his piercing blue eyes stare at her. She threw the arm back, letting it land a few feet away from its previous own. She reached up her hands towards his face, but he stopped her, grabbing her by the wrists, staring down at her. She didn't look like she wanted to be amused…


	9. Flor con Veneno

Chapter Eight: Flor con Veneno

Cyan stalked around Stark, watching his every move, enjoying the sensation she got as his eyes met her in a slight glare. She wanted to touch him, but knew that after he caught her mutilating a fracción, he might not want her. Earlier before running into Stark coincidentally, she was having a friendly conversation with the fracción she ended up murdering. She had her reasons for doing so, imposing and selfish, but a good reason nonetheless. He offered her a night to crown herself queen. She never noticed when her human memories began drowning within the Arrancar she became, but she allowed them to continue dying deep within the remainder of her conscious. The man she was conversing with had done nothing bad to her other than ask for physical contact, which she found discomforting. Then he touched her and somehow, she attacked him as some defense mechanism, an extreme one.

Stark continued to stare at her with piercing blue eyes. She stopped in front of him after he mentioned something about her looks. She reached for his face but he stopped her, grabbing a hold of both wrists tightly. "It's my blood," she whispered. He looked down, looking at the open cuts across the palm of her hand. "It still hurts."

He tugged her hand closer to his face, running his thumb over the sleek cuts, causing her to wince at his rough touch. Their eyes met, staring intently at one another. She pouted, pulling her wrists away, but Stark tightened his grip. He leaned closer to her watching her expression change; the blood on her hands was fresh. Cyan's wrists were moved out of the way, as he leaned closer to close the gap between them. She felt his lips brush against hers, but before she could do anything, he moved away, letting her go. Cyan glanced over his shoulder to see a female Arrancar, staring at the scene almost in shock. When the girl laid eyes on Cyan, her eyes widened. She moved in front of Stark, pointing two fingers in the girl's direction. Stark's hand shot up, stopping her, again.

"You will not kill her," he stated. He looked over at the girl. "Instead of standing there trembling, clean up the mess behind us." With that final order, he pulled Cyan in the direction of her new room, brushing past the red-haired Arrancar, who let out a gasp at the gruesome sight in front of her. She looked back, catching the red tint on Cyan's clothing. The red-haired Arrancar recognized her to be the newest Arrancar in Las Noches, the one at the foot of the Espada, but even if she was beneath them, there was more to fear.

"You're going the wrong way," Cyan stated, looking at Stark. He turned back to her, stopping. "My room was moved to the opposite direction yesterday." She grabbed a hold of him instead and began pulling him along back to where they came from. She wanted nothing more than to avoid the idea of having been caught killing yet again, but unfortunately Stark had begun appearing in the places she would have never believed. Even if they were mere coincidences, there was some extent to how many were acceptable in that place. He started to wonder if someone else was pulling the strings.

By the looks of things, Cyan's room did change consistently. If he were to look for her, for whatever the reason, it'd be troublesome. When she opened the door to her room, he noticed a similarity with the others, a simple, but quaint bedroom, with a small window, which always sat overlooking another tall tower of Las Noches. She also had a comfortable bed that obviously only fit one. She pulled her shoes off at the entrance, leaving them behind on the ground carelessly followed by her black socks. It was a simple square. Stark felt awkward in such a small room with such a strange woman. She opened a door and walked inside, closing the door behind her.

Cyan cleaned the blood off her skin. She tugged at her top, pulling it open and cleaning off her chest from the bloodstains. Even her hair had suffered some tainting, but she easily cleaned it off, washing only the bits that managed to catch crimson. She wasn't used to attacking anyone so aggressively, so she sustained a few scratches on the palms of her hands. She looked towards the door, wondering if he would stay there waiting for her to get out. Cyan felt some anxiety standing in her dark washroom. If she were to leave, she'd be driven by her own instincts like that night. She splashed cold water over her face and wiped the droplets off with the back of her hand. She searched the room. She didn't have a towel. She opened the door, stopping at the sight of Stark standing against the wall, looking towards the window.

She walked to the small hallway from the entrance of the room, pulling open closet. She pulled a towel to her face, dabbing away the droplets of water. She could feel his eyes on her, staring at her intently. She looked at him, feigning curiosity. "Is something wrong?"

"Not with me," he replied, pushing his hands in his pockets.

"I have no problems either," she replied, a smile on her face.

"Your problem is self-control."

"What do you mean?" she inquired, ignoring all her previous actions of aggression. No one else by Stark brought them up to her as _self-control _issue. She didn't think that really was the issue at hand.

"I've caught you killing Arrancar left and right," he stated. "You never seem to have a good reason. You're also planning to kill Nnoitra as well."

"That's your assumption," she replied, brushing aside the idea of murdering that annoying lanky man. She walked closer to him, her hands twisting the towel in her hands. "I have done nothing harmful to innocent Arrancar, every death had a reason."

"What are your reasons?" he asked.

"You," she whispered, grabbing a hold of his face and pulling it down towards her. Their lips met once again, this time it was consensual. They moved their lips roughly against one another. Her arms snaked around his neck and he grabbed a hold of her small frame and pressed her against him. He was compelled by her in many ways and it might have been for that reason that he wanted to keep his guard up around her, but with her controlling nature, he found himself losing. She opened her mouth against his, running her tongue tentatively against his lips and this time he responded, aggressively. His hands tangled into her hair as he opened his mouth, moving his tongue against hers, savoring the taste of her poison. She ran her hands down his hard chest, holding onto his white jacket.

Cyan pulled away from him. Something overcame her and she quickly closed her jacket properly. "I wasn't done yet," he stated, pulling her face back towards his.

* * *

**Title Translation**: Flor con Veneno, Spanish for "Flower with Venom"


	10. Apricots

Chapter Nine: Apricots

Things had obviously escalated beyond annoyance as Nnoitra made his way down the long white halls of Las Noches, searching for his favorite prey, the woman who wouldn't cease to exist. All their fights have been broken up, the previous one by the Primera Espada, which first came as a shock to the lanky man, but now it was a thought that maybe he wanted her dead as well. Even though Stark didn't seem remotely interested in fighting or death in the matter…he was undeserving of his title. Spending all his time locked away in his room dilly-dallying, so if seeing Cyan de Imortell dead wasn't his plan, he could only think of another conclusion. If she had caught his fancy that would lead her further away from his grasps, and he wanted to crush her.

"Nnoitra-sama," he heard an annoying voice call. Heck, everyone's voice was like scratching a blackboard to him. He whirled around, disturbed to face his pale-haired fracción standing behind him.

"What do ya want Tesla?" he demanded, hurriedly. He wanted to continue searching for that witch so he could finish what he started back in the white desert. She managed to graze him with her Cero that time, and even though he landed a hit, he wanted to return the favor tenfold.

Tesla cleared his throat. "Aizen-sama wants to speak to you."

"What the fuck does he want now?" he inquired, furious.

Silence fell between them when they heard light footsteps. Nnoitra prepared his zanpakutō, hoping those footsteps belonged to Cyan, but when he turned around it wasn't. It was a small female Arrancar with crimson red hair, sauntered down the hall, her hands clenched tightly. The remnants of her mask were around the left side of her face, a long piece adorned the corner of her left eye while the other a horn-like piece stood out from the top of her head. Her eyes shot up to look at Nnoitra, but quickly retracted.

"Tesla," Nnoitra turned around, ignoring the redhead covered in blood. "Have ya come across Cyan?"

The redhead felt a chill run up her spine at the mention of that woman's name. Nnoitra looked up again, the redhead catching his attention once again. "Oi, woman, have ya see that bitch Cyan?" he asked aloud.

The woman nodded. "She went back to her room…with Stark-sama," she stuttered.

Nnoitra cursed beneath his breath, but an idea came to mind. "Woman, how would ya like ta do me a favor?" The woman turned around, afraid to reject his offer. He was a brutal man and angering him was the last thing she wanted to do. She nodded solemnly, agreeing to his offer. "Do ya have a name then?"

"Sinlen," she replied, in a hushed tone.

Nnoitra smirked.

"Nnoitra-sama, Aizen—"

Nnoitra shoved Tesla into the wall furious. "I heard ya the first time, Tesla."

* * *

Stark pulled Cyan's face back to his forcefully, watching her eyes widen with his motion. With his other hand, he pulled her body back towards his and he held her there, waiting for her response. She had started the game and wanted to pull out now, no, he wouldn't let her. She was eating away at his patience with her mere existence. Her hands remained wearily at her sides, unsure of what was happening. Stark closed the gap between them once again, a tinge of lust dripping from his lips. He knew her resistance was futile, he could sense her muscles tightening as he pressed himself against her harder. She opened her mouth against his, falling into his almost immediately, her arms forming a firm grip around his arms. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, rubbing it against hers. She shut her eyes tightly, feeling weaker as the act continued. He pulled his gloves off his hands and rubbed against the bare skin of her figure. His lips trailed away from her mouth, moving towards the nook of her neck. He ran his tongue along her neck, feeling her tremble in his arms. She opened her mouth letting out a breathy moan. "S-stop," she whispered, opening her eyes to a slit. If she had some control over her limbs, she'd try to push him away instead of pulling him closer. "S-Stark," she continued, breathing heavily.

Ignoring her subtle pleas, he continued, pushing up the fabric of her short jacket with his hands. There was a smirk on his face as he dominated Cyan. To him, seeing her in such distress brought pleasure to him. She let out another moan as her bit down against her exposed shoulder.

A loud howl disturbed their peace. Cyan quickly pushed him away from her, alert. He stared at her curiously and she turned away, flustered. "Cyan," he called, grabbing a hold of her hand. She pulled it away and moved towards the other side of the room where she took a seat. He wasn't sorry for what he did, since she's the one who started it.

She held her head carefully, shutting her eyes tightly. "I can't," she uttered softly. "So long as there is still a human side of me…" She cut herself short and he felt her reiatsu spilling again. He bent down and picked up his white gloves, slipping them back on. He watched her analytically, leaning against the wall with a sigh.

If he had words to comfort her, he would have said them, but Cyan was just as strange as he was. It was like an eerie connection. Instead of comforting the woman before him, who looked miserable, he sat watching her carefully, hoping she wouldn't hurt herself. She hated herself, probably just as much as he had grown to hate himself and his position in Hueco Mundo. Why couldn't she understand that her human half could be her salvation? She was stupid, not just odd. Cyan looked up, her eyes crying blood.

Crying tears of blood, she looked perfect, like a woman in frozen despair, someone whose loneliness would never be resolved. But, he still felt the tug at his chest. He hated the loneliness and the only way to resolve that problem was being with Cyan, he felt at ease. Spending time with Lilinette only meant more arguments, she was the half of him that knew he needed to take control, but he remained the same, ignoring the power he gained throughout the years. He preferred sleeping, spending time in the alternate world he had always desired a place where he could do whatever he wanted.

He approached Cyan, his fingers pushing her face up to face him. She stared at him strangely. "Stark…" she began, slowly.

"I'm leaving," he decided.

Her eyes saddened, a human trait, he decided. Her hands grabbed a hold of him, as if she would never let him go, but when his fingers left her chin, her grip loosened. He left her in her room, alone, giving her the time she needed to sort out her own problem. Involving himself too much was causing him many difficulties. All he left his room was to find a dark place to sleep, instead he found Cyan mauling another Arrancar carelessly. Her thirst for blood was growing by the hour.

Next time they were to meet, he hoped she would return to the feeble state she was in when she first met him. It was during those times that he was able to predict her next move.

* * *

Cyan walked in to see Aizen in his throne room. He stared down at the pitiful expression on her face. She had a frown on her face as she stared up at him. Gin was also present, but he was busy trying to keep silent while Aizen greeted the pink-haired woman. Cyan didn't want to be present in the private meeting, even though she knew she was being sent to the Human World that same night with another Arrancar. She was hoping Nnoitra wasn't the selected Arrancar, because if he were, she'd do everything in her power to make sure she returned to Las Noches alone.

"Welcome, Cyan," Aizen greeted her, a smile on his face. Aizen's smiles, which were particularly rare, scared her more than the unworldly grin on Gin's face.

"Aizen-sama…" she murmured incoherently.

Gin appeared beside her. "Now, I taught ya better manners than that, no?" he inquired, tugging at her right cheek.

Cyan pushed his hand away from her face. "Don't touch me," she replied, glaring at him.

"Gin, I've told you not to bother Cyan."

Gin chuckled. "I like ta tease her, y'know?"

"Keep your teasing to yourself," she said, looking back towards Aizen, waiting for the news.

The doors opened noisily and she heard footsteps approaching. She turned around and saw the pink-haired Espada that became the reason behind many rumors. It wasn't Nnoitra, but it was certainly someone she'd enjoy crossing off her list. She held the grin that was itching to crawl out as the Espada approached her, only glancing at her slightly.

"I'm sure you two know your job by now," Aizen said, staring at both Arrancar, who nodded in agreement. "I won't keep you any longer; go take care of the pests."

"Yes, Aizen-sama," they responded in unison. Both of them made their way out of the throne room, prepared to make a short journey to the real world, unaware of what might await them on the other side.


	11. El Monstruo

Chapter Ten: El Monstruo

Cyan walked slowly behind Szayel Aporro, drifting in and out of her head, carefully wondering what kind of pests they would have to get rid of. She felt some excitement, but wondered if she would be able to control herself while she's outside of Las Noches. Whenever Aizen noted a difference in her, he sent her out of the palace until she got a hold of herself. At times, Gin would accompany her, but she often found herself trying to kill him, which he found funny. Cyan crossed her arms across her chest.

"What are we fighting?" Cyan uttered, softly, addressing her partner.

Szayel Aporro snorted in disbelief. "Were you ever even fit to be an Espada?"

"I was replacing you, until I told Aizen-sama I didn't want to be an Espada," she joked with a stoic expression. She noticed him snarl in frustration and she quickly retracted. "It was a joke…, but you're humorless in contrast to the ridiculous way you dress." She walked past him, muttering to herself. "Although, not as ridiculous as Nnoitra. He's a walking spectacle." She looked down at her cropped jacket. "I'm one to talk—" She turned around to see Szayel Aporro standing in the same place, hands balled into fists, trying to calm himself down. "Szayel Aporro-sama, we should get going or Aizen-sama will get mad if we delay on killing the pests!"

Szayel Aporro shook his head, trying to kick out the idea that he was stuck with an incompetent idiot for the following days until they finished their mission. So, he took a step forward and walked in front of her, without any more detail, no more chatter. If she told another joke, his hand might accidentally slip and choke her.

"Szayel Aporro-sama," she called, again. "What Espada are you?" Cyan probably knew it was annoying to ask so many questions, but she understood inconveniences like that when she had to hear her name left and right from the minute of her rebirth. Still, it had never occurred to her what number each Espada was until now that she joked about replacing Szayel Aporro.

"Octava Espada," he replied.

"Oh, then Nnoitra is stronger than you?" she said, aloud. She remembered the tattooed five on his tongue last time the _sparred_, so she figured that was his rank.

"He may be stronger but he lacks intelligence," he defended.

"Well that makes sense, he picks a lot of fights with me," she began, the conversation drifting, to Szayel Aporro's further annoyance. "He's always using some obscene language like he wasn't educated when he was alive…maybe he picked it up in Hueco Mundo."

"Silence!" he stated, turning to her, his amber eyes sullen. "Anymore of you inane chatter and I will surely dispose of you."

Cyan stared at him with a pout. "That's not a kind gesture," she commented, holding her hands together behind her back.

He turned away, again. Cyan wondered where they were walking; they could have easily opened a Garganta anywhere and leave, unless he wanted to pack extra clothes before the trip. Then, her mind went blank. Maybe she should have stopped thinking a while ago, but even with a blank mind, thoughts continued to flood in like a swollen stream. It was a mixture of all her memories combined. Her human life, the afterlife, and the life she started when she became a Hollow, years of loneliness, evolution, and finally rebirth.

"Wait here," Szayel Aporro's voice rang in her ears.

She twitched out of her daze and looked at him as he entered a room. "I want to go too," she stated, slipping inside before the doors closed only to encounter something beyond her expectations. There was machinery all around that cried out something sinister as well as monitors aligning the wall. She looked around expectantly; she wondered if he slept in one of those glass capsules, he had decorating his room. Her eyes met a pair of frustrated amber eyes, glaring at her by the monitors. "I was afraid, Nnoitra would show up and try to kill me," she lied.

"Even if you were out in the open, he wouldn't find you," Szayel Aporro stated, smartly. "You've been suppressing your reiatsu the entire time."

"I'm not suppressing, wanna see?" she inquired, leaving him no time to answer. She pulled her zanpakutō out of her belt and threw it towards him.

Szayel Aporro caught her blade with ease, but what he didn't expect was the sudden outbreak of reiatsu that filled the room, causing some glass to crack. He felt his own reiatsu being suppressed and he fell to the ground, choking against the tight atmosphere. Cyan walked closer to him and plucked her zanpakutō out of his hand, a smile on her face. "Maybe throwing it at you was a bit too much," she remarked, curiously. "Are you okay, Szayel Aporro-sama?"

He gasped a few more times, as Cyan pulled him to his feet. His sharp gaze met hers. "I'm sorry," she said, slowly.

"What are you?" he questioned, pushing her hands away.

She blinked, innocently. "I'm an Arrancar, like you," she replied.

"Your sword swallows reiatsu!" he said quickly.

Cyan's eyes trailed towards the hilt of her sword as she slipped it back against her waist. "I suppose," she replied, not entirely sure where he wanted to get with things. In fact, Cyan was learning how to suppress her reiatsu the past few days that she had gone away into the desert, but it wasn't helping. Naturally, she gave up seeing as her sword did a great job at suppressing it for her, though it did more than repress at certain instances. She found herself walking down halls where many Arrancars were talking about her dying, but she wasn't dead, she simply faded within her blade. However, she enjoyed those situations the most. Nnoitra would have his minutes or hours of happiness before realizing she hadn't rolled over and croaked.

"Doesn't that surprise you?"

"It always did that…" she replied.

Szayel Aporro took interest in her endeavors. She was the odd one out, but a definite interest. If he had known the strange ability of her zanpakutō earlier, he would have probably kept his mouth shut, but this would definitely get interesting. He smirked, engrossed. He'd have to observe her actions carefully when they entered the Human World, and maybe later coax her into his room for private matters when they returned to Las Noches.

Cyan looked about the room curiously. "Oh, I know you," she turned to him with a serious expression. "You're the _meddler_."

"Excuse me?" he asked, puzzled.

"Gin-sama was the one who told me you're the one that always peering into other's lives," she answered, truthfully. "He specifically told me to stay away from you…"

Szayel Aporro laughed, mockingly. "And you'd be willing to listen to him?" he asked.

Cyan shrugged. "I don't care for his words, so what pests are we fighting?" she began, again.

Since she caught his fancy, he smiled. "Well, I suppose Aizen-sama was referring to those pesky Shinigami, they've been meddling with his plans for too long."

"All we do is kill the ones we find then?" she inquired, passively. He nodded. "That should be simple."

"You must be carefully, they're quite the whimsical beings, incredibly stupid, but the lot has a few tricks up their sleeves," Szayel Aporro began.

Cyan was aware that Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen were Shinigami, but she never asked them what the difference between the two species was. She knew that Arrancar were reborn Hollow with humanoid forms and stronger abilities than the ordinary Hollow found outside in the white desert. "Interesting, anything I should be aware of?" she asked, intrigued. She wanted to meet other Shinigami beside the three she was already knew.

"Make sure to keep your eyes peeled if they release their zanpakutō," he warned. "Each sword has a different ability. They're much different that our Resurrección." Cyan nodded, taking in the lesson, wondering why she hadn't been told anything by Gin before. She had never crossed to the Human World while she was a Hollow; she feasted on others instead and continued her growth, so she never ran into a Shinigami before. "Be aware of those small details and things should run smoothly. We should get going."

Cyan nodded, her hand up in the air, twisting it over as the space in front of it tore itself apart, welcoming them into looming darkness. Cyan had her palm over the hilt of her blade as she stepped inside, followed by Szayel. She was having vivid imaginings of the world she had once inhibited many years ago. She turned to Szayel. "The Shinigami might swarm around us, it's possible that they might have found a way to track beings stronger than Hollow," Szayel Aporro began, staring at Cyan.

"Then, let's become miniscule in their radars." Cyan turned to him, holding her sword out to him again. "It was able to take your reiatsu before; I suggest we use my blade to give us the upper hand."

He nodded in agreement, grabbing a hold of her blade. The idea was completely diminishing the Hollow energy with them, to make sure they weren't taken by surprise by their enemies, the Shinigami. Cyan's blade was the best option they both had, and it served its purpose particularly well.

The Garganta tore open the sky, allowing the two to enter the Human World. Cyan's eyes glinted with hidden excitement. The world had changed. It had completely thrown off her hopes to see old places she frequented, those where her heart would ache and beat faster…with _him_. She blinked, watching Szayel Aporro concentrate in search of any Shinigami, using Pesquisa. Instead of looking into the issue at hand, she focused on her surroundings. Everything was different. Building seemed bland to her, nothing special. The people who carelessly walked around in the street were dressed in funny clothing, but she was one to talk. If they saw what she was wearing, they might have laughed.

"Cyan, I sense a few lower-level Shinigami to the east," Szayel Aporro confirmed.

Cyan looked at him hopeful. "Should we hunt them?" The idea of mauling them was exceptionally great in her mind. A sinister smile appeared over her lips.

Szayel Aporro nodded. "Let's," he agreed. Both of them used sonido to make the process quicker. Cyan appearing first before, looking around for the Shinigami in question, but none came to sight. She turned around when Szayel Aporro appeared.

"I can't see them," she stated.

"I can sense them, they must be in hiding beneath us," he replied. The woman nodded and vanished once more. Szayel Aporro sighed. The woman had no patience. When he appeared again with her, she was walking down the street in search for the Shinigami.

Cyan's eyes darted from left to right, apparently they wore black robes, but everyone around was wearing weird clothes. She sensed movement nearby, and took a sharp turn, drawing her sword when another's clashed against hers. Her eyes glinted with unfathomable joy at the sight of black robes and a zanpakutō. Szayel Aporro watched from afar, knowing the others were still hiding. He would have sought them out, but it was amusing allowing them to believe they had completely vanished from their field of vision.

Cyan was blessed with the brave man of the troupe. "Shinigami?" she inquired.

The dark haired man seemed baffled by her question. "What are you?" he asked, instead.

"I'm a monster," she replied, tossing away her sword, letting it stab against the ground behind her. Two booming reiatsus shot out. The man retracted, pulling his sword back, trying to continue his assault but the pressure of the afterglow had him on his knees. Szayel Aporro hadn't expected his reiatsu to shoot forward the minute she let go of the blade, but he quickly repressed it, unlike his female partner.

She smiled widely as she watched the Shinigami fall to his knees. "Goodbye, Shinigami," she said, pressing two cold fingers against his forehead and firing a Cero at point-blank. Szayel Aporro couldn't help but chuckle. So much power in a single woman, it was quite impressive. Though, he found it difficult to determine how strong she truly was, there was a strange shifting in her outbreak.

The leftover remains of the Shinigami she had killed plopped over in front of her. She turned away, noticing a door opening before them as she waltzed over to pick up her blade, suppressing her reiatsu once more. A smile appeared on her face as more Shinigami entered the scene. It was two males, both wearing armbands over their arms. The dark-haired one looked around the scene, noticing the dead carcass on the ground. He eyed Cyan carefully. "Kira, none survived," he confirmed, speaking to the blonde man behind him.

Cyan turned her back to them walking towards Szayel Aporro. He had accompanied her on this mission for a single purpose and that was to keep her under control, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to let her only toy with her enemies. He wanted to see a stretch of her true abilities. "If they attack you, obliterate them," Szayel Aporro ordered, as she got closer.

Cyan nodded, turning towards them once more. "How strong are you two?" she inquired, curiously, pushing her sword back into her scabbard.

"Lieutenant-level," Kira confirmed.

She turned towards Szayel Aporro. "That's definitely stronger than the expected pests," he commented.

"What are you?" the dark-haired man asked, preparing to draw his blade against them if they made a move.

"We're called Arrancar," Szayel Aporro stated. "We're higher beings than Shinigami."

Cyan looked serious as she stepped forward. "Szayel Aporro-sama, allow me to dispose of them," she stated, a deep fire burning inside her body. She was lusting for blood.

"Hisagi-san…?"

"I'll go," he replied, taking a step forward, drawing his sword.

Cyan looked at him. Before he could make a notion to attack, her fingers were already pointing his way, and unexpectedly, she shot a Cero his way, alarming him as he jumped out of the way. His eyes were wide and grew even further when she appeared in front of him, her blade clashing against his, throwing him back. He skidded over the air and managed to stop himself. He lunged himself at Cyan, but when he swung his sword down, she appeared behind him, swinging hers. He blocked, scarcely. She pushed her blade down towards him and he kept his hold strong, pushing up against the back of his blade, struggling. He didn't expect her kicking him away from her before she followed him, swinging her sword down harshly, landing the first hit straight from his shoulder to his torso. To her grand distaste not deep, enough to be considered a great hit, since he hardly bled. At the same instant, he pushed his sword forward grazing her face.

Cyan's eyes darted towards Szayel Aporro who was fending off the other lieutenant. Cyan avoided another slash directed her way and moved further back as his movements quickened. He was much faster than she expected. Maybe that's why Szayel Aporro gave her the 'okay' to kill them. She planned to do so, but she spent too many days bored and running from Nnoitra to not enjoy an exhilarating fight. She deflected another one of his attacks and jumped up, leg up in the air before she nailed him in the shoulder with her hit. The force of it sending him crashing into the ground. She went towards the ground, where he landed and searched around the rubble, before she heard chains hitting against one another.

She prepared her blade for his next attack. First, a sharp blade connected by a chain swept past her left side, avoiding her scarcely. She turned her head and the next blade came to her from the front. Cyan turned her head quickly, leaning back immediately. The rustling of chains filled her ears as the two blades flew towards her once more. She jumped back, avoiding them both scarcely. The dark-haired lieutenant emerged from the rubble, holding both weapons in each hand.

"What is that?" Cyan simply wanted to know.

"It's my zanpakutō's shikai, Kazeshini," he replied, staring at her awkwardly. If this was Aizen's army, they're would be nothing to fear. Still, he could hardly keep up with her speed and the power behind each blow was questionable. He caught himself in a daze after each hit, was it that powerful, he wondered. He hated the idea of having released his shikai against her, but it was probable that with the sharp blades and speed, he could probably fend off against her effortlessly. She stared at the weapon intrigued, each had to sickles at the top, one inverted, and both weapons were connected by a long chain.

"Wanna see my release?" she asked, curious.

"What?"

"My sword has one too, Aizen-sama explained it to me," she replied, staring at her sword. "But, if you see it…don't close your eyes, you might die."

There was a large crash behind them. Both of them turned back, slightly, noticing a small amount of wreckage. Szayel Aporro appeared behind Cyan, his hand on her shoulder. "If you release, Aizen-sama would be angry at us both," Szayel Aporro stated.

"Kira!" the dark-haired lieutenant shouted, running in the opposite direction.

"Let's get going, he'll probably return home to prepare the funeral." He laughed.

"Why not get rid of him as well?" Cyan asked, objecting his order.

"Once more, you release your zanpakutō and Aizen will not be happy," he pressured. "We're only getting rid of the pests stationed around the city. The day is approaching quickly." He reminded her.

Cyan nodded, putting away her sword. Both of them turned their backs to the two lieutenants and she heard the rustling of the chains and the blade resonating through the wind, tearing it apart. Cyan turned around, catching one of the sickles with ease, but allowing it to cut through her palm slightly. Her eyes caught his, whose eyes widened as she crushed the metal when she tightened her hold.

"Impossible," he uttered.

With a final smile, both Arrancar disappeared, leaving behind the warnings for the rest of the men stationed in the area. It was then that they had the option of fleeing back to their stronghold or waiting around to be killed.

* * *

Cyan watched the cut on her palm heal while Szayel Aporro disposed of another batch of low-class Shinigami. Cyan was frustrated. Her first chance at a battle against one and Szayel Aporro interrupted before she could actually play the game seriously. She had her legs crossed, one over the other. When she looked up, Szayel Aporro was heading back towards her, a large grin on his face. "How much longer?" she inquired.

"Not long, so long as those lieutenants don't return with their superiors, we'll be sure to clear the entire city from all its guards within the next hour," he explained, noticing the boredom in her tone.

She got up. "Let's go to the next location," she said, hoping that batch wouldn't die easily. She sighed, but that's what the guards would do. Regardless how easy she went on them, they croaked rather quickly. She either cut to deep, or put too much power behind her Cero. She noticed Szayel Aporro also being fed up with the amount of trash he had to deal with. He had bigger things brewing in his head. He wanted to see what part of Cyan made her uniquely different from the rest of the Arrancar, other than the sword that absorbed reiatsu. He would ask her, but he figure she might have been toying with him too much to give him a serious response.

Cyan remained silent for the rest of the hunt, killing them easily, breaking apart their blades with her bare hands, laughing at the sight of their final gasps. She was a sadistic woman, but when she wasn't playing with the dead, she seemed different. Usually, everyone was quick to show his or her true colors, but she had yet to do so. Which one was the real Cyan? Was it the woman lusting for blood, tearing her victims' limb from limb? Or, was it the calm woman, who spent her time day dreaming and avoiding the rest of the world? It all came down to that before he could figure her out, was she the monster she claimed to be, or the fragile being she portrayed in her body.

* * *

**Title Translation:** El Monstruo, Spanish for 'The Monster'


	12. Por el Pesimista

Chapter Eleven: Por el Pesimista

When Cyan stared at the sky, she knew too well that she hated it. The sun's rays were difficult for her to handle, so she spent half the time, holding her arm over her face whilst fighting. She found it tricky because she was forcing herself to use her left hand to hold her sword, but managed to find ways to get rid of the pests. According to her partner, the pests would continue arriving until finally, someone strong was drawn out. Even after she anxiously waited for a stronger Shinigami to arrive, nothing came. As the sun set, both were sitting on the rooftop of a tall building, although Szayel Aporro was quick to continue his pacing around besides the railing. She had felt a sort of gaiety the moment the mission was given to her, but now she felt as if she had been deprived of life in general. The heart her human side so meticulously cherished was falling to pieces in her chest. She closed her eyes, hand grasping the white fabric over her chest. It hurt.

The longer she allowed herself to remember, the gloomier her disposition got, something she tried to avoid. She had left that world and died, perished alone like a wilting flower. She had abandoned her family behind, dying of loneliness because she was never able to have what she had wanted. The pain that she thought she abandoned so long ago was returning into her being. It was possible the pain had never gone away, considering the fact that she turned into a Hollow after spending years of watching _him_…

Cyan shook her head, trying to keep a clear mind. She looked up at the clearing sky; _at least, you haven't changed._ She cringed at the hollow pain in her chest. She'd never felt so much pain at once, it felt tiring.

The pain was accumulating into that single place, the heart. Szayel Aporro noticed something strange in the air. He whipped around quickly, noticing Cyan was gone. He glanced around the entire area, repeatedly tried to pick up her reiatsu, but to no avail.

Szayel Aporro had to find her before news managed to slip by that he was unable to keep track of one of the most interesting specimens he had ever come across. He looked down from the railing, noticing the pond of blood on the ground. He jumped off the tall building and landed safely on the ground, wary of not staining his clothes with the blood on the floor. He crouched down in front of it. It certainly did seem like the pond of crimson belonged to Cyan, but what did that mean? He took his eyes off her for a few minutes and she vanished. How is that possible unless…she died?

That would certainly not settle with Aizen.

* * *

Stark's eyes snapped open. He pulled the pillow from his face and set it on his lap as he sat up. He let out a yawn and swore he could have felt his heart stop beating for a few seconds. He held his head, bitterly after awakening to her calling to him. Cyan was gone, why did he suddenly feel uneasy? He wondered how long she had been gone then, but in Las Noches when she was away, he had trouble keeping track of the time. Nothing made sense anymore and he found no joy in anything other than sleeping. He wished he could catch her killing someone else, just to see her for a few seconds, to know she was fine. He shook his head violently, getting all thoughts of her out of his head.

Then he heard them, the rhythmic footsteps outside his door, pacing through the narrow hall. Unconsciously, he jumped to his feet and walked towards his door, pulling it open harshly. There was no one present. He looked both ways. There was nothing but a hollow hallway. He placed his hand on his head, suddenly feeling stupider than he must have looked when he opened the door expecting to see a woman out on a mission in the Human World. He closed the door and leaned against it.

"Stark!" He sighed, recognizing Lilinette's voice from the other side of the door. He stepped away from the door and she slammed it open. "What are you doing blocking the door?" she demanded, stomping inside.

Stark yawned. "I'm still tired," he stated, plopping over his bed, face first. "If it's that important, come back in another hour."

"No!" she shouted, hoping onto his back, stepping on with the tip of her foot.

"Ugh—what?" he complained, jerking up, dropping Lilinette on the ground.

"Hey! I'm not done talking!"

Stark sat back down. "What is it?" he asked seriously. "I would have known if there was a meeting without you barging in here."

"It's not a meeting."

"What is it then?"

"Szayel Aporro came back," she began. "Here's the funny part, Cyan's gone missing."

Stark stood up, involuntarily. Lilinette stared at him awkwardly. "Don't tell me…"

"Hm?"

"You developed some attachment to her!" she accused. "I warned you about this Stark, but you never listen. If you get involved with her you'll just ruin—"

"Lilinette, it doesn't matter if it's attachment, or not," he recited. "I'm going out."

"I'm going with you!" she stated, rushing after him. He sighed, pushing her back into his room before exiting. "What's the problem? You need me!" she protested, angrily.

"Need you to criticize my actions, I do not," he stated, trying to shut the door, but her hands shot up stopping it.

"I don't care what you think!" she shouted. "She's weird and I don't like her."

"Lilinette…" he said slowly.

"I don't! She's like a lifeless doll, creepy!"

"I don't care, I'm still going."

Those words didn't settle with the small girl and she pulled the door open widely. Without Stark expecting it, she brought her foot up and slammed it between his legs. "Lilinette!" he cried, falling on his knees in pain. "What's wrong with you?"

"Go back to sleep then!" she stated, grabbing a hold of his collar and trying to drag him back in.

Stark pushed her hands away from him. "Cyan is dangerous," he said, breathing heavily.

"She's Aizen's problem not yours."

No matter how he looked at it, Lilinette was right. He shouldn't be concerning himself over someone who was already under so much surveillance. But, he couldn't help it. "If you're coming, then come, but don't complain. I want to see her."

* * *

Szayel Aporro returned after searching for Cyan as long as he could before he had to report to Aizen. Unfortunately, to Aizen's surprise, one Arrancar entered the throne room when it should have been two, and it wasn't whom he favored. The room fell into an awkward silence as Aizen stared down at Szayel Aporro seriously. He could have easily began the conversation by asking where Cyan was, seeing as how Gin was suddenly present in the meeting, but it'd be better for the subject to explain his reasons for not bringing back the woman he was sent with.

Szayel Aporro quickly got on his knees, bowing down to his leader, though it displeased him groveling at that man's feet. "Forgive me, I've searched for Cyan de Imortell everywhere, but as you had said, you wanted a report…" Szayel Aporro paused, noticing Gin standing near the tall throne, wondering what he was doing there. That man never showed his face when other Arrancar where near Aizen, if he was found, he was usually being suspicious. "When we first entered the human world, we had a run in with two lieutenants; both were defeated in battle, but not killed. I managed to stop Cyan from releasing—"

"She sure is an impatient one," Gin commented with a chuckle. "Having her release, would cause a dilemma especially being in the human world."

"Szayel Aporro, continue with your report," Aizen stated, his eyes on Gin, who merely shrugged. Cyan's Resurrección was beginning to become the talk of Las Noches since she had not been allowed to release it, even if she was about to die.

Szayel Aporro nodded. "Surprisingly the entire area you had us cover was full of weak Shinigami. We both easily disposed of them, there were no actual problems…until I lost track of Cyan and—"

"How was her reaction to the human world when you entered?"

Szayel Aporro raised his head, surprised by the question. Aizen had never showed interest in any Arrancar. It made him wonder if there was more going on that met the eye, but that had been obvious a long time ago, when Cyan was created. "Cyan showed great interest in the human world, but after a few hours, she began to show obvious hate for it."

Aizen chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Look for her," he ordered.

Szayel Aporro got to his feet and rushed out the door. Aizen eyed Gin cautiously. "You don't seem to mind the disappearance," Gin stated, walking into the darkness.

"Not that I don't mind it, it might be for our gain," Aizen replied, leaving as well.

"What'd we gain if she were to be found by Soul Society?" he asked.

"It'd instill fear in them; she looks very much like _her,_ doesn't she?"

"Can't deny," Gin replied, chuckling. "Too much alike, but the personality is way off."

"A quieter disposition and deep perception," Aizen commented, joining his friend.

"What kinda plans do ya have for Sayomi-chan's lookalike?"

"I'd like to use her as bait to bring apart Soul Society."

"An' the King's Key?" he inquired.

Aizen smirked.

* * *

Szayel Aporro stormed into his lab, having collected bits of Cyan's blood as samples for his search through a larger monitor. Pesquisa didn't seem to work and she was specifically known for being able to fade right through the senses. Still, all of the information he gathered on her would make the search much faster now that he was inside his laboratory. Her sword had the unique ability of absorbing reiatsu, which was incredibly odd within the Arrancar; there were abilities some possessed that had the same aptitude, but not the same as hers. It was stranger than normal; would that be her main ability after releasing her sword? Maybe the sword was tampered with after her rebirth, seeing as no one had an initial run-in after that day. In fact, she was believed dead and defected, by everyone, not only himself.

Szayel Aporro continued working under pressure, hoping to find her before she is physically harmed and the blame falls on him. He wouldn't be murdered for losing one of the Espada's assets, would he? He shook away all the pestering consequences, focusing on the issue at hand. He wasn't very enthusiastic about looking for her, he believed she was grown enough to know what to do with herself. She was the least of his worries; he'd already accomplished all he wanted for the while, a blood sample. At the same time, he might want to search for her dead body.

He smirked.

"So you are back?"

Szayel Aporro turned around, disturbed. "You should learn to knock," he stated, looking at Nnoitra. Standing a few feet behind him was Tesla and the fresh face of a tan-skinned woman with red hair.

"So, where's Cyan?" he asked, walking over to Szayel Aporro.

"If you haven't been told already, she's missing," Szayel Aporro stated, turning back to his work.

"Would that mean she's dead?"

"I'm sure she's alive."

"Is there a way to kill her?"

"I already made things clear last time I worked with you, I don't plan to do it again," he stated, looking through his monitors in the real world. He had left some sort of surveillance around the place. "You don't know how to acknowledge my work."

Nnoitra huffed. "Wouldn't it be easier to leave her—?" Nnoitra had turned around to face the monitors and found himself watching the sky tore open. When he expected a lower-level Arrancar he saw the Primera Espada walk out along with his fracción.

"What's he doing out?" Szayel Aporro inquired slowly.

Nnoitra moved away. "Tesla, Sinlen, let's go."

Szayel Aporro turned around. "Where do you think you're heading?"

"Where do you think? I'm hunting that bitch down an' killin' her."

Szayel Aporro shrugged. It didn't matter what happened to him anyway. Two Espada were already out, might as well let them do whatever they want. Instead, he sat back down on his chair. This would be enjoyable.

* * *

**Title Translation:** Por el Pesimista, Spanish for 'For the Pessimist'


	13. Lachrymose

Chapter Twelve: Lachrymose 

_Walking down the narrow creamy white halls of the manor, I glanced from wall to wall, holding onto a small pouch sitting inside the creases of my blue dress. The invitation had been clear the minute I received it, it was the dinner where my sister would announce her biggest crime against me. Though I felt defeated, subjugated, and a bit remorseful, I wanted to prove to her that as the younger of the two, I would be the mature one. I blithely tried to avoid the playful idea in my head that it was a last attempt to piece back my broken heart, but regrettably, I would also be married by the end of this faithful year. Our father was determined on getting the two of us married because what he sought was a son, someone to take control of his company, whilst women like us were not fit of such a duty. I sighed, trying to make my demeanor appear the opposite. I hated myself more when I walked into the dining hall and piercing blue eyes met mine. My heart deteriorated in its place and I instantly turned away watching my sister turn his attention back to her. My decrepit, bitter grandmother scoffed at the sight of me._

_"Forgive my tardiness," I apologized, mainly directed at my dark-haired father who was staring at me irritated. I watched the atmosphere in the room itself fall flat against the ground. I wondered if my presence was such a bother to my family, ever since they found out about my intentions, they sent me away to a townhouse in the country to allow my sister to experience love to the fullest. But, her love was also mine, and his had already been professed to me, but being the youngest, I had no right to claim his love. "The journey was fairly long and—"_

_"There is no need for your excuses, sit down and keep your mouth shut," the bitter old woman interrupted. I could easily cry, feeling the animosity in the air. I could easily say I hated this life and wanted get rid of it, but what point would that have? I already felt dead. "Well, we don't have all day, take your seat."_

_I snapped out of my thoughts and scanned the table. The only seat available was next to my sister's fiancé and I nervously walked over to it. The manor's head butler pulled the seat out for me. I sat down appropriately, smoothing out the ruffles in my skirt nervously as the man pushed the chair into place. I felt his gaze on me, eyeing me intently, seeing right through me. I hated how he looked at me in that manner, he always had some power over me, and I was ashamed for falling so easily. I looked up staring into the vigilant gaze of my neurotic mother, who seemed rather calm considering the inner turmoil among everyone. Her dark eyes darted towards the man next to me, a teasing smile on her face. "Why did you ever come to the decision to marry my daughter?" _

_It began. It was like a joke to her that her two daughters were melting over the same man. Even after the fact that I had confided in her when I first met him and told her my woes over everything. I was such a gag. She told me that it would be a much favorable decision to allow him to marry Clara instead because she was the oldest and he was not worthy of my beauty. It was hard to trust her word since she had been telling me the same story over the last ten years of my life. How much longer do I have to wait before someone comes around that is worthy of my beauty? Unfortunately, the concept of beauty was the least of my worries because the reason I was fed such a rotten fib was the expansion my father planned on making with his company. He had always wanted to join families with higher nobility and he planned to use me as bait to catch the son of said aristocracy._

_"My decision was purely based on the influences both our families have," he claimed. "That is the reason for the marriage. It is simply to please both sides."_

_"My, my, so like you dear, strictly business with all your dues," she commented slyly peeking over to face me._

_I could sense how bothered that inquiry made Clara. She thought them to be more in love than nature loved the world, never expecting such an open-slate comment. I glanced over at my father, who merely smirked, another deviant who enjoy toying with the lives of others. He sat at the end of the table, listening to the conversation with great intrigue. Knowing him as particularly well as I did, he was savoring every second of my decadent humiliation._

_I closed my eyes as I pried the black silk gloves from my hands, tugging out the fabric from my fingers. I heard the rustling of dishes as the workers prepared to serve dinner. I watched carefully as each dish made its way onto the table: turkey, smashed potatoes, tomato soup, fruits, vegetables, more meat, and some fish. It went from a small family dinner to a feast when the man beside me mentioned his grandfather and sister would join. I quickly let my head fall shamefully, hearing the doors open and the clamor of their resonating voices filling the room with much needed glee. I felt more eyes on me and I quickly got out of my seat. "I can't do this, nor can I be happily while you make a fool of me—" I moved away from the table, staring at everyone with the same uneasy glare._

_"Please, save your dramatics till after dinner and sit down. You're my sister and I asked you to be here for me." I looked back to my hazel-eyed sister, trying not to slap her across the face._

_"Dramatics are the things you began," I replied, turning away from her and looking at my father. "I'll be going back to the townhouse, do not ask this of me again." I turned away, but felt a strong grip against my wrist. I whirled around to face him, staring down at me with a serious expression._

_"I'll ask my lady to stay," he stated, staring down at my woeful expression. I tugged my hand out of his carefully. "Stay, if not for their sake, for mine," he whispered._

_"You're the reason why I am the fool; don't make me continue butchering my name for yours."_

"—an Arrancar?" Cyan's eyes snapped open; she felt a deep gash over her stomach. She stared down at her hands, her fingernails were covered in blood, and she was sitting on the floor, a puddle of blood beneath her. She pulled herself up, staggering. Her sword was still at her side and she reached for the hilt instinctively at the sound of an unfamiliar male voice. She turned her head slightly, facing a pair of Shinigami. She stared at both males and smiled, before disappearing. Her head stung more than the wound in her stomach. She didn't remember much of—her head pounded.

Since her arrival to Las Noches, she was told to keep a clear mind, but she admitted to recalling memories of her past. Aizen found it particularly intriguing, but he asked her to ignore such taciturn reminiscences and begin her life among the rest of the Arrancar, doing whatever she pleased until she would be ready for his use. Her mind continued its clouded journey, her hands were always bathed in blood and she openly wondered what would happen if she were to lose that human side. Would she turn to becoming a bloodthirsty killer? Whenever she lost that control of herself, she found the vision of blood to be a greater beauty than the sight of the Human World, as she remembered it. She wanted to feel blood falling through her fingers. Her heart sped up.

She blinked feeling a strange sensation overcome her. She staggered and fell face first to the ground from the sky.

* * *

Nnoitra was searching for Cyan's reiatsu for the second time. He had caught on to her location for a short while, but almost as fast, it vanished. He was angry, so much more that he wanted to tear her apart in the cruelest form. He thought about after her death; how he'd send the pieces back to Aizen just to get a cruel laugh out of it. Sinlen and Tesla were whispering back and forth about the plan Nnoitra instilled into them.

Sinlen was a bit stunned when she was the one Nnoitra planned to use to confront Cyan at sight, but even she felt slightly vindictive at the sound of her name. Cyan was a pest to almost everyone in Las Noches, it felt as if she was getting more attention than she deserved from Aizen. She'd heard Loly and Menoly complaining the other day, saying some of the cruelest things. Sinlen was the one to get rid of that last Arrancar Cyan mauled, orders given to her by the Primera. She wondered if Cyan was after more than just Aizen, she scoffed, cursing her name.

Nnoitra looked up. "I think I'd got her, let's go," he stated, picking up his zanpakutō and vanishing. Tesla and Sinlen followed.

Nnoitra's grin grew wider. She was so close he could smell her. Even though he had a good understand of how close she was, he wasn't sure in what conditions he would find her. Wounded, half-dead, or perfectly well, he didn't care—he'd still have the honor of killing her.

* * *

Stark was too busy thinking about what conditions he would find Cyan in, would she be in a rampant rage, or would she be sitting in a corner crying. She didn't seem like the type to cry, it'd be a bit odd if he were to see her do so. He leaned slightly on the idea of finding her in between the options, not crying, but in a guilty temperament over the mauled body of a Shinigami, or worse—a human.

It was hard to keep himself under control with the worry piling over his head. He was much too exhausted to listen to Lilinette's complaints. She was right and he had to acknowledge that. It was wrong of them to leave Las Noches to find a woman, who wasn't even his responsibility, but it was true, he did want to see her. He longed to see her so much that he found it difficult to sleep during the few hours that she was gone.

"We're going to get in trouble!" Lilinette shouted for the thousandth time, punching him in the stomach.

Stark was forced to stop, if he didn't he'd lose his breath and probably choke on the lack thereof. "We're not the only ones out; Nnoitra is also lurking about with his lackeys." Stark coughed, walking.

"Then leave it to him!" she stated. "He's her old owner, he won't mind."

"She's not a possession." Stark's voice seemed slightly irritated at the thought. He had seen many things happening in Las Noches, but he wasn't particularly fond in anything that Nnoitra did to Cyan. Maybe pity was overwhelming him. In any case, it was something that he was not used to feeling.

"I have a bad feeling; let's go before you get found out by the Shinigami."

"I'm not leaving until I find Cyan," he replied with a hint of determination. Lilinette glared at him, if only he had that kind of resolve for his damned position they wouldn't be there. She angrily cursed in her head.

Finding her proved to be much faster than he had expected, but as he watched her from afar, pulling herself off the ground, her back facing him, he noticed something different. She was covered in blood and the thick liquid dripped from her hands. He felt his heart pound fast and ache all at the same time. It was an odd feeling. Was the fact that she was standing in front of him the reason for his uneasiness, or what?

He stopped Lilinette from walking further. "Stay here."

"What—?"

"There's something wrong with her and I don't need you throwing dirty looks her way, so shut up and stay here," he stated, glancing at the green-haired girl once before walking towards Cyan.

"Cyan," he called, passively.

Cyan turned towards him, her eyes displaying an obvious lust for blood. Now that he had arrived, she'd be ready to prey on him; he regretted hurrying at that point. He did not intend to fight her off. After bearing witness to half the victims whose lives she had taken, she was a real monster with far more animal instinct than anyone else he'd ever come across. Tearing her victims' limb from limb was a certain style of hers and that was frightening enough.

He sighed. If she attacked him, all he'd had to do is subdue her and force her back to Las Noches. Aizen would know how to control his Arrancar, especially Cyan; he'd leave her to him. She vanished and when he blinked, he saw her blade swinging down towards his left shoulder. He side-stepped out of the way, only to feel the blade inches from his waist when she turned her swing to the right. He jumped back, avoiding it.

Her usually translucent blue eyes were gone, replaced by a darker pair wanting nothing but his blood. She vanished again, appearing before him unexpectedly, she was remarkably quick. Just as her sword was millimeters from his head, he effortlessly ducked away and grabbed her arm in an attempt to pin her down, but she broke free. She appeared behind Stark and tried to leg-sweep him, but he jumped in the air avoiding her leg, this time retaliating with another maneuver to try to subdue her. She moved away before he had a chance to reach for her.

"Cyan, you're exhausting me, snap out of it, or I'll have to use violence." He didn't want to hurt her, but even if he asked, as kindly and laid-back as he did, her attacks were relentless. The longer he continued avoiding them, the harder it started to become, but he refused to draw his blade against her.

He reached up to stop her next attack, catching the blade itself. His eyes widened as he felt his power deteriorate and he looked over at the blade, which sliced the palm of his hand with the pressure she put against it. He sonido'd out of the way, staring down at the cut in his palm. Now, that realization complicated things for him. If he couldn't stop her blade by hand, he'd have to get it away from her. He felt a bit dizzy from the contact he made with her sword, but regained his composure and drew his to elude her. She didn't waste time and came at him hurriedly, thrusting her blade at him, grazing his left cheek slightly as he caught his opening. He hit her wrist with the hilt of his blade, forcing her to let go of her sword.

Their reiatsu shot out, filling the entire place. Cyan felt the pressure first and fell out of the sky. Stark quickly grabbed a hold of her before she hit the ground and picked up her sword. The pulsating sensation stopped and he searched the sky for Lilinette.

He glanced down at Cyan, who he was holding under his arm, she was unconscious. He went to look for Lilinette now that he claimed his prize. It wasn't the best prize since she attacked him, but she was tranquil and silent now.

"What the hell was that?" he heard Lilinette shout outraged. "Why do you have her with you? She wanted to kill you!"

Stark shrugged. "Let's go back."

"You haven't answered my question!"

Stark opened a Garganta and stepped inside with a, "Hm."

* * *

_How very detestable—have I become a new being? What an awkward form I've received…, my eyes were swollen and dipped in crimson. What kind of future have I gone to? From death to a life, expecting a way to continue being with him, but the chain in my chest suddenly fell apart and I was in pain. My body grew, I became disoriented, I wanted to eat souls, I needed to retain my life so I could see him again…I hunted my—_Cyan's eyes snapped open as she rose from a lumpy bed. She had regained all her senses and placed her hand over her bare stomach, the wound was gone, but at instances, she felt the subtle pain. Her clothes had been changed because they weren't covered in red like the last time she recovered her composure. There was something different about her body that she hadn't come to terms yet. Her zanpakutō was sitting against the wall, yet she wasn't suppressing her reiatsu—what happened? There were no oddities.

She scrambled off the lumpy bed and hit the ground hard. In the next seconds, she felt a heavier body on her, and her hands pinned behind her back. She tried not to panic, but tensed up.

"What are you doing?"

"Stark—" She breathed, relaxing.

"Hm." He moved away from her, helping her up. She felt lighter, looked frailer, her face was pale, and her eyes were poignant. Her hands slid over his shoulders and unexpectedly, she laid her head against his chest, ear pressed over his beating heart. Her hands were holding onto him tightly. At that point, he was unsure of what to do, but even though he felt some sort of elation, he wasn't sure how to get around showing it to her. He wanted her to see something else and so, he pressed his hands against her cheeks, making her face him.


	14. Music I'd Play For You

Chapter Thirteen: Music I'd Play For You

"Stark—"

Cyan breathed heavily, bringing her hands in front of her to cover her flustered face. Stark removed them, linking his fingers against hers. He brought his lips against her mouth roughly; he missed her in every sensible way the short while she was gone. He hated her for causing such turmoil inside of him, stirring about his feelings, and making him question himself more than he cared for. He could feel his heart beating faster at their body's proximities and he wanted her closer. He wanted to feel her closer to him and with a tug at her hips; he did just as he wished.

Cyan tried to position herself comfortably against the pillows, but it was hard to concentrate when his mouth moved so well against hers. She never expected him to move about things so quickly, but she slipped on the ground when she moved away, landing over his bed. After that, he didn't waste any time and kissed her. She quit her struggle against him, aware that the events that were about to occur would do more than just pleasure her,

She linked her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. His mouth moved down to her jawline, causing sweet noises to escape her lips. He continued, enjoying her quiet moans, running his tongue along her neck. Her body shuddered and she let out a breathy sigh. Her fingers tangled into his dark hair as his hands ran along her subtle curves, stopping over her legs, pulling them further apart to move himself in between.

Their lips met again in equal aggression and soon their bodies melded more into one another. He felt hot against her skin and she was surprisingly lukewarm. His hands slid further down over her hakama. She groaned into their passionate kiss. She felt his gloved hands rubbing against her hips, to her thighs, and up again to her bottom. Another moan fell from her mouth and her heavy breathing was interrupted by his eagerness to explore her mouth. He had taken the opportunity to taste every inch of her, and reassuringly enough, he tasted blood. He'd expect as much after she bit the inside of her mouth when she tripped over his self-made bed. Her tongue ran along his with equal fervor. He tugged at her hair to moving her head back slightly, getting a deeper feel of the inside of her mouth.

Stark pulled away from her again, breathing heavily. She was positioned awkwardly beneath him, panting, and whispering his name, her long fingers tracing the outline of his jaw.

He should stop himself, he really should have and he intended to, but her fingers continued trailing down, pulling apart his jacket. Her touch sent chills down his spine. Her mouth left soft, elusive kisses against his jawline, pushing forward to give herself more room to continue. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders, moving her lips towards the left. She ran her tongue against his skin, feeling his cold hands touch her skin and as they inched closer to her breasts, she bit down against his skin.

"Ngh," he moaned, letting his head fall against her shoulder. He pressed his hand against the fabric over her chest and she instantly let go, her arms wrapping around him, kissing him feverously until her mouth met with his lips. He continued caressing her lightly, his hands going lower and further onto her back where he pressed himself against her, ripping open her short jacket. His lips trailed down, placing light kisses along her neck, over her collarbone, down to the space between her breasts, and further along to her naval. She fussed grazing her leg against his lean body. She moaned when he ran his tongue back up the same trail. She felt her cheeks color excessively and felt more than embarrassed.

Stark moved away from her, his hands cupping her face, staring into her light blue eyes. She nervously bit her lip as she caught his gaze. She turned away to avoid anymore excessive blushing. She had to let her emotions control her at such a time—it was irritating. Her only hope was that he would ignore her flustered face while he looked at her with such eyes. He let out a sigh, letting his head fall over her shoulder. "I'm exhausted."

She blinked and heard him yawn. He draped his naked arms over her, holding on to make sure she wouldn't leave him after he found such comfort. She felt so deprived and deceived. Disillusioned, she covered her face with her hands, struggling slightly with Stark's weight on her. She felt stupid and embarrassed—even worse he was actually snoring at that point. She huffed in disapproval. There weren't enough words in the world that could describe what just occurred. Not enough to describe what she was feeling—it was absurd.

Cyan felt so sexually frustrated and bothered as the minutes ticked by. She forcefully tugged at his hair in resentment, but he was such a heavy sleeper, or a good faker to show no change in his position. "I hate you," she muttered, defeated. She let her head fall back, her eyes looked down at his face, sighing. He was handsome, but he seriously needed to work on his drive. If he ever dared try anything like that again and come up with that same lame excuse, she wouldn't let him. She was determined.

"Would you quit moving?" Stark complained, yawning as he shifted uncomfortably over her, trapping her further beneath him.

She purposely moved and he quickly put her back in place. She continued moving, making him uncomfortably, until he pulled himself up and glared at her. "Cyan, you're getting annoying."

"I'm unsatisfied," she stated, bluntly.

"I'm tired, same thing, let's go to sleep," he stated, lying down next to her, covering her exposed chest.

"If I wanted to rest I would have stayed sleeping," she stated.

"Don't sleep then, but shut up."

Cyan glared at him and stood up angrily, closing her jacket. His arm shot up and grabbed a hold of her wrist, pulling her back towards him. She hit his bed hard, almost hitting her head against the floor. Stark climbed over her again and laid himself comfortably on her. She let out an irritated sigh and her heartbeat sped up all over again. She hated her feelings because they all were quick to stab her in the back. His head was lying over her chest comfortably and he was breathing easy as he tried to fall asleep again.

"You're heavy—I'm leaving," Cyan stated, but just as she said that, she felt his weight double forcefully. "If you're trying to kill me, you might accomplish it sooner than you think."

"I spent half a day looking for you, I'm not letting you go so easily," he admitted. "Besides, you give me better comfort than a pillow."

"My bosom is not a pillow," she protested, bitterly.

"It should be." He smirked.

"Shut up," she muttered, her face turning red.

* * *

She stayed by his side the entire time, trying to find different ways to breathe until finally she found her way to slumber. Even if that task was against her will and after a few hours, she felt bothered by the amount of movement on Stark's side. She groaned and moved away from him, hitting the cold ground hard. She opened her eyes, rubbing her face. "You're clumsy."

She glanced up to see Stark. "I fell asleep." She panicked and scrambled onto her feet. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I was pleased with your sleeping form," he replied, lying on his back. "Quite thrilled, really, but you're awake now."

"Shut up," she stated, flustered.

He looked at her. "You're quite different, y'know?"

She blinked in confusion. She was used to being called unusual and many other names, but when Stark said it, she felt her heart lighten. It didn't look or sound like an insult, but it bothered her. She glared at him and he sighed. "Are you leaving?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes," she replied softly.

"Are you coming back?"

She stepped back. "I don't think I will."

He looked at her once more and suddenly regretted letting her go. Her eyes seemed overwhelmed with an emotion he wasn't too quick to recognize and her lips trembled as she struggled to speak. She smiled, sweetly. That smile surprised him; it was something so innocent, and sincere that he never thought he would see out of her. She closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Stark," she whispered. "This life has been—" She turned away and walked out. She never finished. Her melodic footsteps scampered down the hall and diminished instantly.

He pulled himself up, trying to keep himself from following after her. He knew he shouldn't even though he felt so messed up in the head that he was doing so much for her already. But, he had never found anything so interesting, the only thing being sleeping. Nothing had ever come alive until her footsteps, as annoying as they were, sounded like a sweet melody that he distantly recalled, yet couldn't remember.

Why didn't she finish? He thought.

What was she trying to say? He wondered.

Why couldn't she just say it? He was thinking too much, he had to admit.

"Why—?" he mumbled, stopping himself.

Stark suddenly feared the most as well as hated the ideas playing in his mind, but he let her leave.

He would never have the opportunity to see that innocent smile upon her face again because—

Cyan de Imortell would die.


	15. Light, a Subtle Figment of Reality

Chapter Fourteen: Light, a Subtle Figment of Reality

Everyone had been given a new life and they were allowed to keep one thing that was forever theirs. They all had something precious to give up, but they were allowed one thing. Only one. It had always bothered him, tremendously. Even so, it was everything, because that was the only piece that linked every Arrancar to their past. It was subtle, it seemed particularly useless by many standards, but it was an escape. It might have been another figment of their imagination, but who were they to complain? They gave everything up to become stronger and everything was all he wished for now. He wanted something. He needed something. He dreamt of something. He slept for something. It was an endless cycle, involving something, but regrettably, nothing.

There were music scores in his mind, things that would normally make no sense to him. Something classical and elegant that made him wondered just how far he had forgotten. What have I given up? He questioned aloud. Lilinette knew because she was the half of him that refused to disregard their memories. He wouldn't ask her—out of fear, something he hated to feel. Something that would lead him to become the abomination he hated. If he would only knew that he shouldn't have forgotten the things he had and abandoned his name instead…

_I can hear a sound. It was melodic and it resonates flawlessly across the entire courtyard. It was beautiful yet raw, distant music filled my ears with doubt. I left behind my—_

_I paced down the hall and pushed the doors opened—_

_Of raven hair, with an innocence that gleamed—_

Stark's eyes shot open at the sound of Lilinette's voice. He glanced over at her. She was absurdly calm for once. "What is it?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"You didn't hear it?"

"Hear what?" he inquired, sitting up. He'd been so consumed by his own thoughts that he felt unaware of something.

"Nevermind," she retracted, moving back.

He eyed her carefully. "Lilinette…"

"I'm leaving."

Then he heard what she was trying to hide. He stood up, yawning one more time and heading for the door. "What a nuisance," he said. "Come on, let's go Lilinette."

"I don't want to go," she stated, defiantly.

"Fine, stay there," he replied, shrugging.

Three days, he wondered mentally. No, how long then? He didn't recall the amount of days in between that had occurred after Cyan stopped showing up. He was scarcely able to sense her, but when she disappeared completely it made him wonder.

Before stepping out of the room, he shot a glance towards the red-hilted sword leaning against his wall. Her sword was still there and by the feel of things, it would never reach her hands again. He shut his eyes rubbing them as his thoughts got the best of him. He didn't want to remember her. She had gone away and he didn't do anything to stop her. He was angry with himself, hated how stupid he had been. He opened his eyes and pushed open a pair of doors. The next hallway would lead him to the throne room to see Aizen.

His eyes widened when he saw her, walking quickly down the same narrow hall. Her head hung over with her hair covering her face. When she crossed his path, his hand shot up and caught hers unintentionally. "Cyan," he breathed.

She turned her face towards the wall, to keep him from looking. "Let me go," she whispered. Her voice was full of despair. She tugged at her arm slowly and winced.

"I don't want to," he replied, tightening his grip. He wanted her to look at him, but she was still struggling to break free from his grasp.

"Let me go," she whispered, forcefully.

Stark let her go, regrettably. He watched her stumble forward before she regained her composure and continued walking. He noticed her pace slow down as she neared the door and he turned away, making his way to see Aizen. He heard a thud, but instead continued walking. He already had some clue as to what the private meeting was going to be. He didn't want to hear it.

He entered the room, hearing the doors shut behind him and noticed Aizen was standing on the ground instead of being seated on his throne. He cast a glance at Stark, moving away from Tōsen, who was standing with him. Both of them seemed to have been absorbed in an important conversation.

"Welcome, Stark," he greeted.

Stark stared at him silently.

"I hope you had your share of fun with Cyan," Aizen began. Stark was partially shocked, but didn't show it. "It's quite unfortunate that I have bigger plans for both of you."

Stark let him talk. He seemed more interested in hearing himself speak than everyone else, so, let him do what he pleased the most. The only thing that did bother him was the mention of Cyan's name. Aizen made her sound like a lifeless doll, a simple tool, which she regrettably was. He also didn't like the idea of being a part of a big plan…he had been told to do as he pleased until Aizen's final move, but since his involvement with Cyan, things would be forced to change.

The plan itself was horrible. Cyan's part had finally come to play and she would vanish from Las Noches permanently if she decided to return after she finished. Stark stood there, listening to Aizen's plots. He was trying to keep an empty head, taking in the information he didn't want to hear. He didn't want to know that Cyan would never return. She'd be too busy trying not to get herself killed.

"…do you understand, Stark?" Aizen asked.

Stark nodded. "Yeah…" he responded.

"Don't disappoint me."

Stark shot one final glance at Aizen before turning away. He left the room, trying to stay calm but he hated this life more. His rebirth and everything brought along with it, it was a horrible life,—he looked towards the entrance of the door, somewhat hopeful that she was still there, but she was gone. He wanted to see her one last time before she began her half of the deal.

Even if only a single second, or just a simple glance at her face—anything would do. He just wanted to memorize every bit of her so that he would never forget—

_A smile appeared on her face as I entered the room, even though I had tried my best to be discreet, but nothing ever crossed her. "Swooned from the garden to the music room with a single warm-up," she said, laughing. "You truly have nothing better to do."_


	16. Darkness, the Light I See

Chapter Fifteen: Darkness, the Light I See

_"You killed him." His tone was passive, not in the least bit surprised. The way he spoke to me in the next few minutes wasn't the initial reaction I had expected from him. "I never thought you to be such a violent woman; on the contrary, you've always been blessed with patience."_

_"You have no idea what he has done to me," I muttered, staring at the mauled body before me. My hands were covered in blood, with flesh underneath my fingernails._

_"Nor do I wish to know," he replied, walking to my side. He crouched down beside me, grabbing a hold of the machete to his side. With it, he poked the body. "I might get angry."_

_I took the weapon out of his hand and slapped it. "Don't touch him," I sneered._

_He glared at me rubbing his hand. "He's already dead and you're still protecting him?" he asked, grabbing a hold of my arm. I stared at him before looking back at the dead body._

_"He's dead, at least respect the corpse." He pulled me up to my feet and ran his thumb over my cheek, removing the swab of blood. He smirked at my comment. It hadn't been an accident. I had grown exhausted of his accusations saying I was involved with my sister's husband secretly. We had actually not met in years since I returned to the country._

_"I hardly respected the man." He kicked the body over. "He has a nice roll, by the way."_

_"You're making this harder for me."_

_"You're getting on my nerves, why don't you just go away and get dressed while I do you a favor by getting rid of your ex-husbands body," he stated, pushing me forward. "He's dead, he won't feel anything."_

Cyan shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head in response to her human memories. Up to that point, she had thought she had lived a normal, pleasant life, but after recalling those incidents, she remembered that man. She had spent hours on her bed, expectant. It wasn't her place to get involved with anyone, but when it came to Stark, she wanted to be with him, for hours even if it meant doing nothing at all. He reminded her of the man she was still so in love with, though she couldn't remember his face exactly. She rolled onto her back, staring at the dark ceiling. Her heart was aching. Why—? She wondered. Why? She felt her eyes water and a tear trail down the side of her face. Her hand shot up over it, catching the single tear with her finger.

"What is this?" she whispered.

Emptiness loomed over her head. She had grown used to his touch; it was difficult not to crave it. Her body shivered as she remembered the occurrences that happened a few days ago. Her hand fell over her neck, trailing down towards her navel where she let it rest. She hated sleeping because she would have dreams of what should have happened. She woke up drench in cold sweat and on the ground every morning. She sighed, forlorn.

Cyan sat up hearing the door to her room open. "Cyan," Tōsen called from the doorway.

Cyan got off her bed. She had already expected the worse since Tōsen walked to her room to fetch her. She walked out of her room and followed him silently. "You know your sacrifice will help Aizen-sama put his plans in motion," the commander reminded her.

"Yes," she whispered, turning away.

"Why have you made things difficult for yourself?"

"It's in my nature," she replied.

She felt the room fall silent after that and the walk dragged on until she realized she was standing in front of Aizen. He was quick to raise her head to face him directly. "Welcome back, Cyan," he said, a smirk on his face. "Are you prepared to hear about your new job?"

Cyan moved away, removing his fingers from her chin. She hated his touch. "I'm prepared," she replied, her eyes looking at the ground.

"I've noticed a difference in your abilities since you came back," Aizen commented. "Don't you agree?"

Cyan tried to disregard his comment, even though he hit the nail on the head. Cyan shook her head, trying to hide it. Aizen moved closer to her.

"Maybe we should test your abilities before you leave."

"Leave?" she inquired, her eyes fixed on his face.

"For your new mission you will become a wretched soul who has forgotten all her memories," he began, slowly. "I'm sure you can handle being far from here for a while, can't you?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she responded.

"You know your sacrifice is needed for me to get my hands on the King's Key, right?" His tone of voice seemed smoother, yet cynical. She hated that tone of voice; it made chills run down her spine.

She gulped, nervously. She hid her uneasiness, but Aizen had always been able to read her like a book. "Yes, Aizen-sama," she agreed. She had only been reborn to serve Aizen and she had always told herself she would. She regretted her idealisms and wished she truly had never been reborn. She didn't want to die again.

"Good," he said. "You will be departing soon, and you will be going on your own. Do not fail me."

"I won't, Aizen-sama," she whispered.

"You can return to your quarters." Cyan turned away and headed for the exit. "Also, I'd prefer you keep yourself as far away from Stark, you've proven to be quite the distractions for one another. Regardless of you being a simple pawn, you've proven yourself worthy of other things. In any case, any mistakes will cost your life and I simply won't have that."

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she forced out. She head out the door. She felt a rupture in her chest, tormenting her. She had a new mission in the human world that would lead to her sacrifice. How much more did she have to kill herself over her self-imposing lives? This time around, she was under more pressure, being forced into doing things she didn't need to agree on because she was working under a stronger being. A man who could careless over the lives he would lose so long as he attained what he needed.

She felt a hand shot up towards her, stopping her quick walk down the narrow hall. "Cyan," Stark's voice filled her ears.

She turned her face further away. "Let me go," she whispered, disguising the agony in her tone.

"I don't want to," he replied, stubbornly. His grip around her arm tightened, but she still tried to get it out of his.

"Let me go," she whispered forcefully.

He let her go and she stumbled forward. When she heard him take a few steps forward, she intended to quicken her pace but when she reached the door, she fell on her knees. Her hands over her face as she felt them water and soon tears ran down her face. _Why does my heart ache? _She wondered. If she would have been braver she would have ignored Aizen's words, but they got the best of her. What did she care about what he said—but he reminded her of what she used to do when she had first arrived. She shut her eyes ashamed and pulled her body off the ground pushing the large doors open. She glanced over to see Lilinette, who seemed to be waiting for Stark. The small girl shot her an awkward glance before Cyan left. She wiped her tears away, taking deep breaths to clear her throat. Anything that could make it seem like she was crying. It was pathetic for her to be able to convey that type of human emotion.

Cyan walked down the hall before she heard the swishing sound of metal going her way. She ducked and heard metal crush against the wall. She turned to her side to face Nnoitra. "Nice to run into you 'round here," he said, tugging at the chain of his weapon pulling it back towards him.

Cyan rose from the ground and faced him. "If you have time to swing your sword at me, you'll have time to be wasting somewhere else," she stated, walking away. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

Nnoitra walked towards her, slamming her against the wall roughly and she cringed. He looked down at her shoulder, which had been grazed by the sharpness of the wall. It was bleeding. "What the fuck?" he questioned.

Cyan shoved him out of the way, feeling the blood trickle down her arm and sonido'd towards her room. Nnoitra being too shocked to follow her, stayed there wondering why she was wounded so easily, so he figured she had been hurt beforehand.

Cyan didn't think too much over the gash on her shoulder or the scrapes in her forearm. She expected that much after she returned from the human world. She had hoped to stay as far away from Nnoitra as possible, feeling as weak as she had, but it was obvious that by some miracle he would have found her. She returned to her room and pulled her dirty jacket off before walking into her bathroom. She cleaned her wound out as well as she could without hurting herself. Before the incident, regeneration was quick, but due to the changes, she'd have to bandage her arm and let it settle like that for a while.

She walked out of her room with bandages over her arm and went to the small bed she called her own. She sat down, running her fingers over the white bandage. She let out a sigh, drawing the sheets of her bed over her chest, leaning against her wall. Her bright eyes faced the window with wonder, wishing she were still just another Hollow wondering out in the white sands because it was easier. She wished she had done the right thing when she was alive, maybe if she had it would have made a difference. Maybe she could have been picked up by those Shinigami instead and taken to the paradise they claimed.

_Every minute that ticks by on that grandfather clock gives me the eminence I'd been trying to avoid. The doors slam open and from the left to right I meet each familiar face with growing shock appears over my own taciturn expression. It was a matter of time, had they simply found the body, or had they figured out the truth. I noticed my sister Clara who graced me with the most sincerely apprehensive expression unlike the usual sneer I always received. My mother-in-law was the one to approach me, but my eyes remained on the blank expression on the face of Clara's husband. My mother-in-law's face was stained with tears, but even that didn't affect me, as it should have. She grabbed a hold of my gloved hands, looking me in the eyes. "My darling son was found dead," she uttered softly._

_Without any recognition, or any forced tugs at my insides, I felt tears run down my face and I took a deep jagged breath, holding my face in my hands. I sobbed and his mother held me in her arms. I could hear Clara's husband sigh unconvinced by my tears. Everyone walked up to me afterwards giving me pity words to try to compensate for my husband's murder. Clara's husband walked up to me, took my hand, and he drew me closer to him. He leaned down close to my ear. "Crying as you are, you're making a fool out of me," he whispered before pulling away._

_I stared up at him incredulously, ignoring the fact that there were more people. "You of all people should not be saying that to me," I stammered, pushing him away. "What I feel is none of your concern!"_

_"You're right, it might not be," he admitted, stepping back. "Obviously, you've obscured your own eyes so you can continue living in your own naivety, you selfish fool."_

_Biting my lower lip, I walked up to him and slapped him across the face. "You have no idea what I've been living through, you inconsiderate bastard," I retorted. He turned to face me with piercing blue eyes, glaring at me as I turned away to leave._

Cyan rolled out of her bed. Every chance she had to remember her past, she took it. She was baffled by how accurate it fit with the life inside her head. It was like watching the film run by a second time, but this time around, it was melancholy. She walked towards the entrance of her room, pulling the door open, and walking out. She turned to her left, about to walk down that hallway, when she came to an abrupt stop. He was walking through the same hall, hands in his pockets while mumbling to himself, and then he looked up noticing Cyan staring at him awkwardly. He frowned.

Cyan sighed and continued walking, trying to avoid him. After he walked past her, she heard her door open and slam shut. Cyan snapped back and rushed to her room. _What is wrong with him?_ She questioned, walking inside her room. She turned towards her bed and saw Stark sitting there yawning into his hand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, wishing she hadn't returned to her room. She felt stupid. She knew she wanted to see him again, but she moved back.

"I wanted to see you," he replied, looking at her.

She fumbled for words, but everything was perfectly clear. The feelings between them both were the same and he was the light she had always longed to see.


	17. Say You'll Be With Me

Chapter Sixteen: Say You'll Be With Me

It wasn't enough that Stark invited himself into her room, but immediately after, he had cornered her inside of it. After admitting to the fact that he did want to see her, she fumbled for words, the only one's audible were becoming a bit repetitive. She filled his ears with sweet, kind words like 'leave' and 'get out or I'll throw you out', even he found the situation a bit humorless on her end. She was even avoiding his gaze. She used her hands, she turned away her face, but he only got closer and pulled her face back towards his. He hated how much she fused over nothing. She really did seem like an ordinary human woman, there was nothing interesting about her—yet at times she had the ability to emit such elegance. Damnit, he hated her.

He moved back to her bed plopping down on it and he watched her as she composed herself. She gave off a forced vibe that would normally lead any man to thinking his death was inevitable, but he knew this was an empty threat. She wasn't in one of her moods, so he knew she wouldn't touch him. Her eyebrow twitched, as if she knew exactly what was going through his head. He hated that aspect of her; she was just too perfect he'd rather smother her with a pillow than acknowledge all the trouble she causes inside of him. He still reached out for her; he wanted her to stay within his grasp because he didn't want to see her sacrificed. He had never asked about her past because he didn't want to bother her about her burden. His eyes never left hers even as she tried to summon enough strength to trot out of that room and never return, knowing he would stay.

Her gaze softened. He brought her hand to his face and she moved closer to him. Since their earlier disagreement, everything had fallen into silence. She placed her other hand on his face and leaned down towards him. She would probably never see him again and unpleasant thoughts began to plague her mind. She could say many things about her situation with that man, her feelings based on her actions. She was fond of him—though she was quite negative to admit anything further—that was it.

Her lips brushed against his lightly, her eyes closed tightly. He couldn't help himself afterwards. She felt the eagerness behind his kiss as it became rougher, intoxicating, and slightly lustful. She kissed him back with equal fervor, unable to contain the sexual tension. Stark showed more enthusiasm for once drawing her over him, straddling his body as their kiss heated. Their tongues met, tangling over one another. His hands tangled into her hair, pulling her closer as his left hand made it to the back of her head. This time around, she tasted sweeter, much to his liking. She tilted her head to the side, giving them both room to deepen the kiss and he was quick on that matter.

Stark knew she would emotionally attract herself if he would allow his instincts to control him. He knew that it would make her lament her departure soon that she might be audacious enough to tell Aizen she disagreed with him. She was easily driven and easily manipulated. She was such a vulnerable woman. His hand slid from her hair to her arms where she twitched, pulling her body away from his. His eyes looked over at the bandages over her arm and she opened her mouth to speak, but her wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head over her chest. He could hear her heartbeat. He smirked, knowing she was probably fussing again with words in her mouth.

Cyan bit her lip, taken aback by his quick motions; she had no time to explain because he simply wouldn't let her speak. She tangled her fingers onto his hair before letting her head rest over his and wrapping her arms around him. He moved his head to face her again and she looked down at him. Her thoughts crossing back to the idea that she might never see him again. He reached up, kissing her once more with the same passion as before. Her lips felt soft against his. She hungered for him and she showed it by pulling his body closer to hers, running her hands over his chest, and pulling apart his jacket. She mentally swore she would have him—with her determination set, she definitely would, by all means.

She felt his teeth against her bottom lip and she let out a groan as he bit her slightly. Her mouth opened against his and he pushed his tongue inside, exploring the inside of her mouth. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders hastily and traced a finger over his chiseled body, mapping out his chest and abs. She leaned towards his shoulder placing kisses against his naked skin. She could feel the heat rising from his body on her lips and had to admit she was a bit flustered as well. His hands had slipped down to her hips gripping onto her body tightly as her lips continued to move over his shoulder, parting slightly to taste him. She could hear his heart beating faster, matching her own. His taste excited her. He removed her hands from his body and pulled away from her.

Cyan looked at him a bit curious and she climbed off him, all perverted thoughts aside. Her job was becoming clear to her and the idea that Aizen had left her with—to stay away from Stark. He reached out for her hands and stood up, bringing her closer to him, even though she was about to take that chance to leave. Cyan protested by trying to push him away from her, forcefully. "I need you to go away Stark," she said, even though it was against her will. She was flustered from the small warm-up they had already. She initiated it and wanted to finish it, but why did she decide to be so obedient then. She cursed herself.

He stared down at her seriously. "Look, I'm sorry for last time…"

Cyan glared at him and he rolled his eyes. "Just go away," she stated, trying to ignore her own carnal instincts. So instead of doing what she wanted to do, she kept her eyes fixed on his face, something she was used to seeing as opposed to his naked torso.

Stark moved away from her, grabbing a hold of his jacket and handing it to her. Cyan blinked watching him lay down on her bed on his side. She tossed his jacket back at him. "Thanks, I was feeling cold." He spoke, sarcastically nonetheless. Cyan felt her eyebrows knit together in anger. She would drag him out of her room if she had to. Suddenly she felt insufferable.

She walked to her bed, looming over his body with a frown. "If you fall asleep here, I promise to drag you out," she warned.

Stark opened his eyes and looked over at her. "Why do you want me to leave?" he asked.

"I was asked to stop being a distraction for you."

"What if I like the distraction?"

"Find a new one." She huffed.

"Trust, finding someone as annoying as you would take centuries."

"If I'm so annoying why are you here?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Stark rolled onto his back, grabbing a hold of her chin and pulling her face closer to his. Cyan lost her balance as he pulled her down so low; she had to hold her hands out against the bed to stop herself from falling on him. "Do I need to answer that question?"

Cyan shook her head, slightly flustered. "But, please let go of me," she said, shakily. She felt his warm breath against her lips and her urges were slowly resurfacing against her will. Stark wasn't making it any easier either with his hand holding her in place.

Stark shook his head. His response was the gentle kiss that he coaxed her into, feeling her soft lips against his once more. Her hair fell over her shoulder, brushing against his naked skin and he pulled her closer. She pulled her lips away from his and stared down at him. "You want me to leave?" he asked, serious.

Cyan closed her eyes once more, her fingers against his face before she pressed his lips against his again. His hands slid down over her body, pulling her over his once again, her legs straddling his waist. They deepened the kiss, tongues running along one another sensually while their hands followed the same notions.

Then in one swift movement, he switched their positions. He pressed his hand against her chest and caressed her slightly feeling her squirm beneath him breaking their kiss. She let out a sigh as he pulled opened her jacket. He leaned down towards her, his lips over her collarbone; he ran his tongue against her exposed skin. She shivered and felt her toes curl from the feel. He left elusive kisses against her skin, sometimes sucking on it lightly to savor her taste. He moved away, pulling her up just to shove the jacket off her shoulders, exposing her to him. He took in the sight of her exposed chest, not that her clothes left anything to the imagination, but seeing her topless was different. Cyan moved his face back to look at her and she was frowning. What did he do wrong now?

Her face was a bit pink. In any case, he wanted to see her turn red, so knowing what strings to pull; he began tugging at her trousers. He undid the black sash around her hips, pushing her hands away whenever she tried to stop him. He would look at her face occasionally to check her blushing, but she had yet to meet his expectations. She was glaring daggers at him, knowing he was only poking fun at her. If he was serious he would have removed those stupid gloves, the fabric was causing her skin to irritate, she thought. She bit her lower lip as she felt a chill run up her spine. His lips were near her naval, trying to distract her. The lower he pulled her hakama down, inch by inch the more he revealed her Hollow hole. It sat just beneath her belly button, but wasn't visible because she was used to tying the black sash that kept her hakama up over it.

"Interesting," he muttered, running his finger over it. "Do you think my—"

"Shut up," she breathed.

"You didn't let me finish," he stated, pulling the hakama off her legs.

"It's probably something unnecessary," she stated, letting out a moan as his fingers traced over her inner thigh. "S-stop that—"

"You like it."

"Just stop it."

He pulled her leg up and planted his lips against her thigh. His lips parted and his tongue ran along her inner thigh. She protested slightly feeling herself tense up. She wasn't enjoying the teasing because it was feeling better each time. "You look better when you're completely undone," he commented, looking at her face. He pulled her down by the hips, having her face him. "Your face is flustered, your body is trembling, and you show your true colors. I think you might have me more interested than sleeping."

Cyan rolled her eyes. "I'm finding this less and less interesting."

"Be happy I slept before coming here."

"Just shut up," she cursed. "Teasing isn't any different."

"I'll stop playing with you, then," he said, pulling her bottom half closer to him. He pulled his gloves off, tossing them aside, hovered over her and kissed her again. His lips hungrily maneuvered over hers and without much of a warning, he parted hers with his tongue. Cyan tilted her head to the side, taking in his lips perfectly.

Cyan felt her heartbeat accelerate; the passion behind his sudden enthusiasm excited her. His mouth was at her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. His fingers traced translucent circles over her breasts. He grabbed a hold of one of hers as his lips trailed down the spaced between them. She shuddered and let out a moan. His mouth enveloped her right breast; his tongue ran over her nipple while his other hand maneuvered her left. She latched onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist, grinding against the growing bulge inside his trousers.

She felt him groan against her, removing his mouth from her. He loved her taste, she was as sweat as honey but at the same time slightly bitter. His body temperature rose quickly over the last few minutes, so much he felt himself sweating at the point, but Cyan was no exception. His hands slid over her skin and he pulled his hands back up, placing them over her face. Her eyes were glazed and they were both panting. He planted a kiss over her lips, then looked his in the eyes again, that come-hither look appeared on her face. Her fingers tangled with his tightly. She had never felt a mixture of melancholy and ecstasy as she did there, with a strong sexual desire too. She enjoyed the proximity between them and his lips were like burning fire. Every time they touched any part of her, she felt that single spot get hotter and hotter as the seconds ticked by. And when he carelessly stopped to face her, she melted beneath him.

He leaned down towards her resting his face next to her. Cyan rand her hands down his hands towards the sash of his hakama and she tried to pull them off him. He kissed the nook in her neck as he helped her, kicking off his hakama. He pulled himself up again. "Cyan," he breathed.

"Hmm," Cyan managed.

He shook her head and kissed her lips hungrily, his tongue sliding over her bottom lip. He loved the feel of her lips, they were remarkably soft, and when he tugged at her lower lip, she'd loosen up. Her lips worked well against his. When she moved them along his body, it was like burning ecstasy. She knew where to stop and she figured out the sensitive spots along his neck and collarbone. He only wished he didn't have a mask in the way. The same went for Cyan. Having one piece pointed out near her temple managed to graze against his face a lot and he frowned, to show his evident disdain.

They held onto each other, his hands moving down along her sides, sliding over her subtle curbs, and then he'd grip onto her bottom before he moved his fingers along the fabric that separated him from her sex. He ran one finger along the fabric, rubbing her one sensitive spot. She let out a deep moan followed by a shudder. He continued his ministrations, hearing her call out his name made him not want to stop. He leaned forward, his lips sucking on the skin of her neck. Even if he left marks on her, she wore a high collar; no one would ever be able to tell. Besides, it was no one business what he did with Cyan and even if he were warned to stay away, it'd be difficult to do so.

Cyan couldn't think straight. The only thing going through her head was a cross of obscenities censored with the sound of her pleasured moans. Stark continued his torture, gingerly rubbing her sweet spot through the thin cloth. She squirmed and moaned. Her toes curled from his unbearably pleasurable touch. He moved his hand lower and noticed she was soaked. He pushed the cloth out of the way and soaked his finger with her juices, lathering them over her spot once more. It felt better than before and she twitched in sudden ecstasy. Her arms linked around his body tightly to keep her body closer to him. Her lips were at his shoulder, planting an elusive kiss against it before she opened her mouth and bit down, trying to keep herself from screaming out of pleasure.

Stark let out a low growl, the bite sent a chill down his spine. In response to her actions, he doubled his rhythm. She threw her head back and dug her nails into his back. "Stark," she groaned, trying to say something that would make him stop teasing her so much. Stark pushed her legs forward bending them before reaching for the beginning of her underwear and tugging them off. He struggled slightly, seeing as Cyan wasn't cooperating, and he had to force them off her. He pulled her back in place, maneuvering himself between her legs, before sliding two fingers inside her. He moved his other hand under her neck, pulling her closer to him as she tried to position her own body. She felt a mix of discomfort and gratification. Her bed had always been too small, but she didn't complain because she slept curled up against the wall. Sharing it with Stark was definitely something she would never do again. They didn't fit as well as they would have hoped. He continued moving his fingers inside of her slowly, memorizing every detail and savoring the feel of it.

Cyan hit her head hard against the wall. "Stark!" she cried, holding onto her head.

Stark growled. The interruptions were getting on his nerves at that point. He pulled himself onto a seat and grabbed a hold of Cyan. She instinctively climbed onto him, straddling his hips. She felt the heat rise up to her face when she felt his hard member stroke against her opening. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he reached up to her head rubbing it. She smiled and leaned forward kissing his lips. He responded hungrily, gripping onto her hips tightly, pushing them down against him. She let out a moan. He pulled away from her. Cyan trailed her fingers down his chest, lower towards the only impediment between them. She linked her fingers over his trousers and began pushing them off his body.

Cyan climbed off him and he couldn't help but stare at her body hungrily. Every subtle curve in her body heated him up more. The closer she was to him, the better. He hadn't noticed he was naked until her hand slid over his shaft. He shuddered at her evanescent touch. He grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her back over him, leaning against the wall. Her cheeks were slightly colored as she looked over him. His mouth trailed over her neck down to her breasts, licking between them right back up. He loved the taste, sour, and sweet mixed. She pushed his hair back and leaned towards his ear. She kissed his face and begged to be taken by him already. He wished he could continue teasing her, simply to watch her face get beet red, but he couldn't hold it in anymore.

Cyan felt his hand beneath her, running his fingers across her opening before pushing her down slowly over his shaft. Cyan bit her lip, throwing her head back and closing her eyes. His head fell over her chest, fingers gripping onto her thighs tightly. He felt it pulsating against him in lashes of pleasure. Their hips met and she heard him groan at the feel. He looked at her as she tried to compose herself, panting heavily. She opened her eyes to a slit staring at his face. She began to rock her hips against his and flinched. "Don't dig your nails into my hips," she whispered, holding him close.

She knew he wouldn't stop even if she'd ask, since she had done the same to him. She continued moving her hips against his, slowly, growing in speed as she felt pleasure sweep past her. Stark held her head back, his fingers tangled into her hair as he traced his hands kneaded her breasts as she continued picking up the pace. She felt his warm breath against her chest, his teeth as her laid kisses against her. She was growing tired fast, feeling knots form in her stomach as she continued grinding against him.

Stark moved her back onto her bed, pulling her legs further apart as he positioned himself over her. He began thrusting into slowly, going deep inside and almost all the way out. She bit down on her fingers, her mouth opened as she moaned. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "Faster," she uttered, eyes closed in sheer gratification. He served well to her demands and began to pick up his pace, thrusting harder and faster into her, multiplying the pleasure by immeasurable degrees for both.

She felt like fire had ignited within her, spreading throughout her entire being. She felt consumed and devoured by the shared affections between them. Though she wasn't entirely sure why Stark had submitted to this ordeal, was it just interest, or was it more? She knew why she had wanted to be with him and that was because she couldn't help but feel attracted to him. He leaned towards her, pressing his lips against hers. She opened her mouth and bit down his bottom lip. In return he dug his nails into her hips again as he continued pumping into her. He began to feel hotter and wiped off the sweat from his brow as he stared at her face. Her fingers tangled into her sheets.

When he looked at her, he could only imagine what was going through her mind, knowing her I'd be perverted. Stark frowned. Cyan opened her eyes and noticed he stopped. She opened her mouth to speak but he placed his hand over it. Stark leaned over her, resting his head on her shoulder. No, thoughts began to plague her mind. He wouldn't dare leave her with the idea of reaching her climax slowly bouncing further away…

Yes, he would. She could hear him panting beside her, not making any indications to continue. She was waiting for the two words that would naturally force her to rape him.

She moved her hands away from him, letting them drop at her sides with a huff. His hands reached hers and he linked their fingers together. She could still feel him inside her, a throbbing sensation that sent chills up and down her spine. He pulled himself back up, smirking at the sight of her frown. He knew exactly was she was thinking at that point. She thought he'd fall asleep and forget about what was happen He didn't want to admit it, but he enjoyed how good he felt inside her. He continued his ministrations, starting slow to coax her into gratification before fully submitting her into him.

They warmed up to each other quickly. Her grip tightened against his as she felt something inside of her releasing. Every thrust brought them closer to climax. Cyan felt a shot of fulfillment course through her entire body having reached peak of satisfaction. She panted softly, letting her head fall back as Stark continued his movements. He was slowing down, reaching his release. Her skin was smooth against his rough fingertips. She was perfect to him. Stark leaned forward letting a low groan as satisfaction filled his entire being, before grazing his teeth against her flesh. He dropped on top of her, letting out a sigh and closing his eyes.

"Cyan," he breathed, turning his head to face her.

Cyan glanced over at him. "Are you leaving?" she asked softly, turning away.

"No."

"Either way, I'll still wait until you're asleep to drag you out," she remarked darkly.

Stark lifted himself up and pulled out of her. Cyan sat up quickly, searching for her clothes. Stark glanced at her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm getting dressed, I have somewhere to go."

"Hm." She slowly pulled her clothes back on, but only managed to get her underwear and jacket on before Stark grabbed a hold of her. His hand wrapped around her wrist as he leaned against one of the walls. He pulled her back towards him. Cyan stumbled on top of him, hitting her face hard against his chest. His arms wrapped around her small frame. "After you leave things would return to normal."

Cyan frowned, taking insult. "All this time, you've been blaming me for being so annoying," she countered. "Wouldn't having things back to normal be more to your liking?"

He sighed. "Maybe, maybe not," he replied, closing his eyes.

Cyan bit her lip, trying to keep her words to herself, but—"Do you want me to leave?" she asked, slowly. Cyan knew not to expect an answer, but regardless of her situation, she sincerely wanted one. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around him. In reality, she didn't want to leave.

* * *

Cyan entered Aizen's throne room immediately after being called. She had fallen asleep and Aizen had sent Tōsen to fetch her. If Stark hadn't shaken her awake, she would have been caught fraternizing. Tōsen wouldn't have hesitated to tell Aizen about discovering her with Stark and thankfully, he hadn't. Aizen was waiting for her on level ground and he was quick to make his way towards her. He placed his fingers on her face, lifting it and shook his head in disapproval. Cyan's eyes narrowed, irritated at his touch.

"Aggressive," he commented, letting her go. A smirk appeared on his face. "I'd like to test your skill before sending you out to the desert for you final assignment in Las Noches."

Cyan nodded slowly, though didn't understand why he'd want to do that. He had tested her skill immediately after her rebirth and decided not to make her an Espada. His words at that time seemed more suspicious to her. He had told her he expected much from her because she resembled someone he used to know.

"I noticed some changes in you the last time we met," he explained. "It's had me…worried."

"My skill is fine," she stated.

"I'll be the judge of that." He stepped away from her.

"Aizen-sama—"

"Do not fret," he said, brushing her hair aside. "I'm sure you'll surprise me." He moved behind her leaning towards her ear. "But, remember the rules."

Cyan nodded.

"Even if you're at the brink of death, you are not permitted to use your Resurrección." That was the only rule Aizen had given her and she intended to break it only once, but it was against Nnoitra, it didn't matter much to her.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she said.

"Nnoitra, you can come out now."

Cyan heard Nnoitra's annoying laugh resonate through the room. She turned around to watch as the man walked out into the light a large smile on his face. He'd be itching to kill her and now that Aizen gave him permission to face off against her, things would definitely get nasty.

"I'll be watching."


	18. The Forbidden Fruit

Chapter Seventeen: The Forbidden Fruit

Cyan stared at Nnoitra wearily as he stalked around her like a predator. She wasn't very fond of the position she was in, even more that it was with Nnoitra. She had to admit to wanting to kill him more than once and the idea of it replaying in her mind like a gory film. But, where she stood now wasn't the same as before. She'd easily take him on, but she preferred turning down the challenge now. She wasn't driven and her body felt odd since she had returned from the human world. Even so, she'd keep her ailments to herself. What did anyone care? As mentioned many times before, she would be the sacrifice that would help further Aizen's plans and she took on the role without any further questioning. Cyan's hands balled into fists from the irritation and discomfort she felt as Nnoitra's smirk began to manifest inside her mind even when she closed her eyes, ignoring that stupid grin. She hated him for more reasons than one. He was a pessimistic man with no pursuits in life other than power. She knew that from the moment she agreed to become a part of his fracción. All she ever wanted was some thrill in her new life…but nothing had intrigued her more than Stark. After that, everything else was drained of color.

"Been a while, hasn't it Cyan?" Words dripping with sarcasm and putrid rancor fell from his lips, trying to sound sweeter that she heard. Anything that fell out of his mouth was trash.

"Unfortunately, not long enough." That was her curt reply as she moved past him. As if the run-in they had in the hallway wasn't enough time for him to get an eyeful of her and go rot somewhere until he decided to take another gander, followed by the obvious threats, and ending with the sword thrown directly at her head. She could smell the blood off him mixed with sweat and other dealings. Nauseated and with a constant headache, he was the dimmest light in her mind. Interestingly so, why had he been chosen to stand against her in a fight instead of the others? Not that she cared; she could make his death accidental with the current matchup.

In Nnoitra's mind, he had probably yet to process their previous altercation. "It aint nice ta be rude to your old superior, you bitch," he stated, placing his hand over her should and whirling her around to face him.

Cyan glared at him with utter disgust, slapping his hand away. The unnecessary touching from his part and the ringing in her ear, she despised them both. "You never learn do you?" she inquired, slowly.

The grin on his face only widened, ignoring her comment. In fact, he disregarded it completely. Every word that came out of her mouth was crap. She could sing it and dance it, but it'd never stem to anything more than shit. "Why don't we quit the chitchat and get to fighting?" he suggested. "I've been itching to have a shot at killin' ya for a while. Glad Aizen gave me the pleasure himself."

She wasn't sure how to react to his comment, instead she didn't. She kept a straight face and made sure not to give too much thought into the matter. They were only playing another game that'd entertain Aizen. All they were was figurines and it didn't take a genius to notice it. _But, why do we serve him if we've become a game? _The pounding was beginning to mess with her concentration. She shook her head moving further from Nnoitra, the proximity between them would never be normal unless he was miles away. "I could say the same thing," Cyan commented darkly. She had to have some confidence knowing she'd have to face him one day with full intent of killing him. She glanced over her shoulder to face Aizen. He calmly sat on his throne, looking down at them. He wouldn't save anyone even for the sake of his plans, nothing to lift a finger.

Nnoitra didn't waste time after Cyan turned her full attention back to him. Self-control was a trait he also lacked since he was quick to throw his chained weapon her way. Drawing her sword Cyan stopped it millimeters away from hitting the bridge of her nose. He pulled it back, hurling it once more, destructive force behind the hit. Cyan used sonido to her advantage appearing behind him to attempt to slash him. Her body seemed to be working against her at the same time she swung her sword towards his face. She managed to graze the fabric over that ridiculous hood behind his head. Her hands felt heavier and using sonido seemed to diffuse the steady production of her reiatsu. The unsettling headache continued to cast its torment. The faster she moved, the more the pain pulsated against her skull. Her hand shot up as he swung his zanpakutō towards her, it managed to graze her navel slightly leaving a scratch.

She ran her fingers over the scratch curiously. _What's wrong with me?_ She inquired, ignoring the throbbing pain in her head. She pushed her feet off the ground and lunged herself back at Nnoitra, her sword falling over his head. He pulled his sword over his head blocking and quickly pushing her off. Cyan responded with another attack, yet wondered why she couldn't find her full strength behind it.

Nnoitra could see through her attacks and was able to block inches before they got close. There was definitely a flaw in her style, something different from last time.

The headache, the pain was excruciating. She swung her sword to his left and he blocked it, not noticing when she lifted her leg up and charge it towards his head, knocking him straight in the side of his face. She forced as much strength as possible and managed to match her past strength, sending him flying towards the wall. "You bitch!" Nnoitra cursed, having been caught off guard.

She wanted some excuse to end this fight. She wished she could rest her head for a few seconds. Until the pain went away, then she could continue the trial. She placed her hand over her face, tracing her fingers along her eyes and cheeks, as she dragged her hand down. She felt a trickle sliding down her stomach and looked down. The scratch on her belly was bleeding, but Nnoitra had already swung his sword at her. She jumped out of the way, but he veered it to the right. She ducked, the blade cutting strands of her hair off. She watched them float over her face and she turned her sword and thrust towards Nnoitra, missing him by an inch,

"You're hits are off, have ya noticed?" Nnoitra brought up, an eager smile sprawled across his face. "They're not as tough as before."

"Whether or not my hits are calibrated has nothing to do with our current situation," she clarified. "I'm merely being tested, while you're the graceless pig thrown into my cage. And I do intend to devour you, if not now, possibly sometime soon."

That final comment didn't please Nnoitra in the least. Since his hits came at her with more force and drive than when they first started. She wanted to feed off his aggression to pick her own up. She'd try anything to rest her head. _I just want to lie down_. She was blatantly exhausted in every sense. Her body wasn't getting the angry signals from her brain. It was evident she wouldn't be able to beat him in strength with her current condition, but she could out smart him by using sonido. She appeared in front of him, going for a straight kick to his head, but as expected, he blocked with his forearm. She spun around, using that chance to throw her sword past him, letting it stab on the ground. He was distracted by her sword for an instant and she used the opportunity to summon enough strength and landed a kick to his chin. It came with devastating results, causing him to lift in the air a few feet. She flashed towards her sword, grabbing the handle and reaching upward towards him, delivering a slash at his side, leaving him a large gaping wound. She thought it was over, but tightening his grip on his large sword, he used it to thrust right at her. She was barely able to block it in time, leaving her right shoulder exposed to his blade, allowing it to dig deep into her flesh. She fell back onto the ground and he followed in the same direction, managing to land on his feet.

Cyan fell on her back hard and stood up quickly, but before she could regain her balance, he lunged at her. He created the illusion of using his blade to attack and she moved her zanpakutō upward to stop it, but he struck her with a headbutt. She let out a scream as the pain added onto her headache. She reached her hand over to her head, but he grabbed her roughly by the arm and flung her into the air. He jumped up after her; he could finish her off, since she had dropped her sword when he hit her in the head. She was aware he would appear in front of her and cut her in half. She could read his movements easily at that point. He appeared in front of her and she was ready to dodge, but to her horror, he stuck his tongue out firing a fully charged cero her way.

Her eyes widened in shock and she held her arms up to block, but she was too late. Her body collided with the ground hard denting the marble floor. She took a deep breath, pulling her trembling body off the ground. _I feel so weak_, she contemplated, outraged. _Why am I so weak?_ She tried standing up straight, but her body felt limp and defeated. She slouched back down, her vision was blurred, her clothes were torn slightly, and she was bleeding excessively. She looked over to her side, her eyes catching sight of her blade. She reached down picking up her black-hilted sword. _It's you, you stupid sword,_ she cursed. _I can't recall where I left mine. I don't—_

She watched as Nnoitra landed and she wasted no time. She certainly did talk big; she had to do something about that. Maybe if she survived the battle, she should get her mouth sewn shut. Her mind was filled with a plethora of curses. She hated her sword. She lunged herself towards Nnoitra, catching him off guard. Her blade pierced his left shoulder deeply. Her eyes looked over at his face. He had a large victorious grin on her face. He grabbed her head and laughed mockingly. He worked up enough strength and threw her towards the nearest wall, watching her smash right through it.

He reached for the sword stabbed into him and pulled it out, tossing it aside as he made his way over to her to finish the job. He watched her as her fingers twitched over the could ground, while she attempted to muster enough energy to pull herself back up and finish him with one final attack. Her eyes widened as his shadow fell upon her. She was at his mercy. Blood fell from her mouth and dripped from the wound in her head. Her body tensed as she felt him prepare himself for the finishing blow.

"I believe that's enough, Nnoitra." Aizen's voice rang in her ears and for once, it felt right.

"What?" Nnoitra questioned, outraged by Aizen's decision. He was so close to killing her. So fucking close, he thought snarling.

"The test is over," Aizen responded. "You may return to your quarters, you've played your role."

"Tch." Nnoitra kicked over Cyan's body, using the hole in the wall to make his exit. Cyan's eyes watch Nnoitra disappear from her vision and then noticed a new shadow upon her. Her eyes met with Aizen's from where he stood with a smirk on his face.

"I'm quite disappointed in you Cyan," he commented. "At your level, you should have been able to dispose of him effortlessly." His eyes darted off towards the sword in her hands and noted the difference.

Cyan pulled her body upwards, her hair falling over her face as she took deep breaths. Her hand shot up towards the wall, holding onto the sharp edges to pull her body off the ground. She felt something pressure her down once more, but she held her ground. "Forgive me…Aizen-sama," she uttered softly. "If this is all, I'll return to my room."

"You might want to get your injuries checked, I wouldn't want you to die," he suggested. His tone almost seemed mocking.

Cyan headed out towards her hallway, leaving long strides of blood. She held her wounds hoping that by some miracle she could regenerate after she passed out. She leaned her body against the wall, it was cold, and she needed to stop. She needed to breathe which was much harder than before. She needed so much more, but she wasn't sure what it was. She felt an arm prop her back up. She looked to her left to see Gin holding onto her arm. She pulled it out of his hand. "Don't touch me," she cursed, composing herself enough to take a few steps forward. She wobbled horribly and heard him chuckle.

"How unkind of you, Cyan," he commented. "I just wanted ta help ya."

"I don't need anyone's help," she rebuked, ignoring his lingering presence. He stalked after her, making offhanded comments that she overlooked. She wanted him to leave her alone and she hoped she found a way to get him to leave. She heard loud screaming, a small girl's voice as she approached her room. Stark never left her room and that was probably his fracción shouting obscenities at him. Good, he deserved them, Cyan concluded mentally. She looked over at Gin and watched his smirk widen.

"Ah, I see," he said, graciously. "You've been keepin' a dirty secret from Aizen, haven't ya?"

"Go away," she said. Her tone seemed pleading at that point. It was enough embarrassment walking around like a corpse for half the arrancar in Las Noches to see. She didn't need him figuring out her "dirty secret" any further.

"Well, since ya asked nicely, I'll leave you here," he stated, walking away.

There were days she wished he could fall into a ditch and die.

Cyan continued down her hall, hands at her side. She felt her energy level rise a bit from the rest she took at the corner. She wiped her mouth clean of the blood running down her chin and proceeded to her room. The shouting was becoming clearer. Stark had been labeled the whore, apparently by Lilinette as she told him to get dressed faster or she'll kick him in the balls again. The girl was harsh. Cyan stopped in front of her door and reached for the handle with much precaution. The room fell silent as she opened the door, dragging her feet inside. Her eyes met with Lilinette's first. She was standing at the end of the small hall with a fist full of what looked like strands she might have ripped out of Stark's head. Her eyes were marked by astonishment and soon after Stark came into view. His eyes widened in shock and Cyan closed her eyes, ignoring the reactions. She walked past both of them letting her body fall against her bed, bleeding profusely over the covers.

"Cyan—"

"You'd be better off listening to your fracción." She spoke, her voice dripping with derision. Her body felt heavier and heavier. Leaning against the wall, she let out a long pained sigh, sending chills down both their spines.

Lilinette looked up at Stark, his expression was pained, and she could feel his disapproval of Cyan's words. She felt at a loss of words when she grabbed a hold of Stark's coat. She had opened her mouth, but nothing came out in protest.

"Lilinette, leave the room," Stark ordered.

At first, she shook her head, but with a glare from him, she made up her mind and left the room. "I'll wait outside," she decided. She would listen into the conversation behind the door.

"Cyan," he called, not moving from his place.

"Hmm," she answered, promptly.

"Who?" he asked, morbidly. He felt a tinge of anger at that point. Something about her being bathed in her own blood lit a fire under him. He hadn't much regard for the other Espada. So, if it were who he thought it was he wouldn't care much if he killed him, there would always be a replacement.

"Stark," she began, slowly. "Let me sleep…"


	19. Porquería

Chapter Eighteen: Porquería

His hands were over hers and she felt a sudden need to open her eyes. She looked at him through the corner of her eyes, his face painfully stricken. He was sitting in front of her looking up at her expectant for an answer. She could have easily told him that it had nothing to do with him, but this was the first time he showed he might care. Cyan shouldn't involve him and she did want to kill Nnoitra herself. "Don't look at me like that." She forced her voice to sound coherent, but continued to feel the blood trickling down her chin. She must look horrible, not that she cared, but in front of Stark—she must seem awful. She could laugh about it, if her lungs didn't feel so constricting. It was like a hand gripping onto each one, tightening their hold, cutting off her air supply. She wanted to kill Nnoitra more than ever at that point. Tear him apart limb from limb, were the instincts she was starting to get. She wanted to make him suffer instead of allowing him a quick death. He would pay interest with the wounds he managed to give her, along with the added ridicule. Her hands were clenched tightly, her knuckles were whitening from her grip, and her nails dug into her skin. Losing more blood wouldn't kill her now if it hadn't as she dragged her half-ready corpse back to her room.

"I'll take you to get healed." He stood up, grabbing a hold of her hand, but she pulled away.

Cyan shook her head. "I'll heal on my own." She assured herself she would. All the other times she had, but as she sat in place, she had only healed an inch of the scratch on her abdomen. She let out a sigh. She only needed to rest her head, until the throbbing went away. Moving caused her to twitch, allowing the pain to shoot back into her at full force. She cursed as she tightened the grip on her hakama.

Stark frowned, gaining absolutely no response from her. Would it kill her to tell him if this was just another game Aizen decided to play with her? Or, better yet, if Nnoitra had caught her off guard on her way out. There were many arrancar in Las Noches that were simply hoping for her death. No one particularly like her, she was the odd one of the pack instead of being accepted even though she was defective—what everyone assumed. He knew she had a reasonable amount of strength. She might have been oblivious to the most part, but—

Stark recalled the fact that her sword was still inside his room. He stared at the sword she had brought along with her. "Why didn't you release against Nnoitra?" he asked, passively. He watched her reaction change, giving the jackal away in an instant. Stark had been right on assuming it was that man; no one else in Las Noches would be so upfront about their hate for Cyan.

"That wasn't an option," Cyan replied. Her throat was dry. "I've never been allowed to use my Resurrección."

"Or, was it the fact that you weren't carrying your original sword."

"No, Aizen-sama was watching." She took a deep breath after speaking. Her wounds were slowly healing, but the amount of blood she had lost was making her head spin. "I don't seem to remember where I left my sword. I wonder if I dropped it when I blacked out in the Human World." She opened her eyes, moving her hand over her face, brushing her hair aside. "It's hard to keep track of things when there's so much on my mind."

"You should stop talking," he suggested. It was because he was feeling a bit conscious of watching a woman struggling to breath, bleeding profusely, and talking sitting in front of him pretending there was nothing wrong with her. Her face twisted in agonizing pain, scrunching up in ways that didn't do her justice.

"Does it matter how much I talk, I'd prefer giving a speech in case I die." A laugh, it was feeble yet amusing, but it looked like it hurt her. She flinched and clutched to both of her sides. "Care to listen?" Maybe she hit her head to hard because the memories of her past life were suddenly falling from her thoughts and the headache got worse.

"I have something to do." He took a step back. Her eyes met his for a second and as she pulled her body off the wall, she ended up falling onto her bed. A gracious smile appeared on her face after her weak attempt to move. Stark didn't look at her anymore, instead he left her room, swinging the door a bit too hard, giving Lilinette a mere second to move away.

"Hey!" she complained.

Stark looked at her. "Go in there and talk to her."

"What?" A bit taken aback by his demand, his small fracción was prepared to protest.

"Whether or not you like her or not, I'm ordering you to go in there and make sure she doesn't die." He raised his voice slightly.

"Where are you going?" she asked, trying to change the subject. She wasn't fond of the whole subject on death.

"I'm bringing her sword back," he replied.

"You're lying." She caught him.

"Lilinette," he pressed. "Go."

"I'll go with you if that's what you mean." She marched towards him defiantly, but he managed to shove her into Cyan's room and shut the door.

"Stay there."

"Stark!" she shouted, trying to pull open the door. She should have known better, Stark was on the other side holding it shut. She let out a growl. "You owe me!" She stopped her protests, hearing Stark's footsteps fade away down the hallway. Lilinette walked towards the bed, the smell of blood was heavier than before.

"Hello?" she called from the corner. The woman didn't move. It felt unnerving and awkward being in Cyan's presence. _Don't tell me she already kicked the bucket?_ She inquired mentally. She approached the bed trying to find a way to confirm or refute her assumption. She wondered how livid Stark would get if Cyan was dead or even if he would get angry. Stark never talked to her about Cyan that much. It was as if she was only his secret. _What a bastard_, she cursed.

"Cyan!" she shouted. Still, she didn't receive a response. "Stark is going to be mad." She watched Cyan's body, searching for movement and noticed her breathe. Lilinette sighed in relief. _Why am I feeling relieved…she creeps me out._

* * *

There were different ways he could get around the situation—Cyan's problem would be proper reference. He could easily let the thought of it cross him, which wouldn't be the best idea. He never had anything against anyone in particular. If he gave it some thought, the only one thing he'd hold anyone account for would be Cyan's relentless pacing outside his hall. But, that seized since…

The main halls were larger than the usual ones he took. There were different thoughts in his mind all of them centering on the same thing. He wanted to let the feelings pass him by instead of latching onto him so selfishly. He kept his cool front visible, pacing down the hall as quiet as possible, his hands buried deep into his pockets. The smell of blood reached his nostrils and he quickly made note on what would happen in the next few seconds. The clank of chains hitting against one another resonated through the empty hall. Stark stopped walking and as predicted, along with the strong smell of blood and the loud chain sounds, Nnoitra came into view and the fire was reignited. Behind the lanky man was a vivid trail of blood, freshly open wounds over his torso, and in his hand his large zanpakutō was swung over his good shoulder.

Nnoitra took notice of Stark's presence as he neared him. The victorious smirk that had been etched on his face faded at the sight of Stark. There was blood on his hands from when he touched Cyan and Nnoitra took note of that. He tried to divert the idea that there may have been some interaction between the Primera and Cyan, which might explain why he was just standing there. "Yo," Nnoitra greeted. He gained no response from the latter, who hadn't given him much regard. Instead of expecting an answer, he decided he would simply walk past him. Stark was never social with anyone other than his fracción since he wasted a large amount of time sleeping.

Every step Nnoitra took began to feel heavy. His body started to seem uneasy under the pressure. His legs were weighted down and when he was a few feet away from Stark, his knees gave out, crashing down on the floor. Nnoitra understood that it was Stark's doing. Stark's sharp gaze met his as he fell on the ground on his hands, trying to keep himself up. His large weapon clattered down beside him. Stark reached up to rub the back of his head.

"What the fuck?" Nnoitra cursed. He struggled to keep his eyes on Stark.

Stark held his ground, keeping his hands inside his pockets. There were little warnings going through his head, the kind that Lilinette would tell him. Mostly as prevention to keep him out of trouble with Aizen, not that Stark cared anymore since the last mission he was given.

"If this is about that bitch, you can count her death now," Nnoitra spat, vengefully.

"Hmm," Stark responded, diverting his gaze away from the Espada on the ground. Stark took a step forward and with a good amount of force kicked Nnoitra under his chin. The pain was bearable until his head slammed onto the ground hard from the overwhelming reiatsu that had filled the entire hall. "That's for making me get out of bed."

Scratching the back of his head, he stepped over the other man and continued his walk, without lifting his reiatsu until he was a few feet away. Using sonido, he made the trip to his bedroom faster. He had more than a kick in mind for Nnoitra, but that alert too many others. The fact that he had yet to find that will to distance himself from that woman caused more alarming questions to plague him. Aizen was the one who told them both to stay away from each other, calling them distractions. As he mentioned to her, he did enjoy the distraction and because she was in some sense amusing, he couldn't help it. If Nnoitra touched her again, he might kill him without the slightest hesitation. He held no regard for the other Espada, didn't care if they lived or die. He only hoped Cyan stayed alive because she was the only one that had an effect on him. It made him feel trapped, but…secure…

_Like a vengeful snake wrapping itself around my neck, drawing me closer as it flared its fangs at me…_

Stark shoot his head as he entered his room. Everything looked to be in order, just as he had left it. The red-hilted zanpakutō that Cyan was known to carry around sat against one of the walls. He reached towards it, fully aware of its effects. It might latch onto him and drain all his reiatsu. He stopped and let out a sigh.

He took the sword. Surprisingly, its effects weren't played out. His reiatsu stayed the same, concealed, but without being drained as it had the first time he touched it. Returning it would mean Cyan would leave as planned and then he'd have to begin his half of the deal. Plagued by vivid images of what's to come, his throat dried. Blood would spill, earlier than the set date.

_Constricting every inch of my body under its careless paws expecting me to negate her ideals to pursue someone else, a sense of pleasure lighted her dainty features. She was as much an idiot as I was, allowing others to drive her life, directing it towns and towns away from mine. I won't let myself drown._

Again, he made his way back to Cyan's room. The smell of blood transcended the barriers of the walls. He walked inside, watching movement from the larger half of the room. "What happened?" he asked, facing Lilinette.

The small girl shrugged and noticed the sword in his hands. "You brought that ol' thing over here?" she inquired curiously.

"It belongs to Cyan." Lilinette moved out of the way, she hadn't done anything to upset Cyan. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but earlier when she felt the flair of Stark's reiatsu she planned to leave, but the other woman had opened her eyes. She didn't say anything, but she did manage to curve her lips into a smile.

Stark placed the sword next to Cyan.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Wait for her to wake up."

Stark sat down on the ground beside her bed.

"What if she doesn't wake up?"

"I'll keep waiting."

* * *

**Title Translation:** Porquería, Spanish for 'Trash', the word itself is quite informal and is usually used as a way to offend others. I do not recommend any of my readers to go around calling people or things 'Porquería', they might get offended.


	20. Risoluto

Chapter Nineteen: Risoluto 

She awakens with disillusion etched into her mind.

When her eyes wander to her side, she can notice him sleeping on the ground beside her. His head laying on the cushion of her bed and to his left his fracción rests.

He does not stir although he is already awake. Waiting patiently for her move, he stays still wondering if she can stand now or if she would choose to continue sleeping. Regardless of her condition, he wished for her to stay there. If her vendetta came to play, he'd have to drag himself into it to pull her out at least.

She puts both feet on the ground, carefully. Lilinette awakens at that point, realizing she's lying on Stark, who was still sleeping. Staring at Cyan, bemused, the young girl stands up. "I'll get him out of your hair in a minute." Lilinette seemed nervous, but instead she received a gentle smile from Cyan.

"You both stayed beside me, thank you." The sound of her standing came to his ears, fabric brushing against one another followed by the clash of metal. She was preparing to leave. "I'm grateful to Stark for returning my zanpakutō as well." The rustle of her pants as she walked away began to play in his mind, trying to give him a reason to stand up and follow her.

"Stark," Lilinette called. She was aware of his guise. He faked slumber to confirm his assumptions. "Aren't you going after her?"

"No. Not today," he replied. "She'll find a way back to us." The sound of her footsteps faded, leaving him with little recollection of the melody he heard within them. Lilinette should have known what the name of that music was. Lilinette surely knew everything he didn't.

"You think she'll meet Nnoitra?" Lilinette inquired. Not moved by the idea of Cyan confronting the jackal again, but Stark was the one who cared most. "If she does, she won't stand still. Will you fetch her?"

Stark shook his head, lifting his body against the wall. He couldn't help but wonder if he should go as well. He glanced over at Lilinette who wore a frown. He returned it and she attacked him. Grabbing him by the hair and tugging hard. "You're already in trouble for kicking Nnoitra in the face, go follow her!"

"I'm going." Stark complied, standing up, and walking out of the room. Lilinette ran after him. She didn't plan to let him go alone that time around.

He couldn't sense Cyan's reiatsu. Returning that blade was probably a mistake, now he couldn't track her down as easily. _Follow the smell of dry blood,_ he told himself. "Was she completely healed?" he asked.

"Looks like it."

There was no smell of dry blood but soon, the spill of fresh one had filled the main hallway. They walked down the hall slowly, Stark move in front of Lilinette in case anyone lunged out to attack them instead. The thick scent was only getting stronger the more they walked by. Traces of blood were on the ground a trail of it continued leading them straight. The smell of flesh was stronger and the first body was lying on the ground torn up in a way that only Cyan would be capable of doing.

Lilinette's face twisted in disgust. "What's going on?"

"It's Cyan's work," Stark said. "She's the type to rip limbs off her victims."

"What is she a monster?" Lilinette asked.

Stark shrugged. Monster or not, she certainly had ways to lighten up to sordid mood in Las Noches, even if it meant desecrating the sanctity of it, covering the walls with blood. She had her ways.

There was a loud crash. Stark stopped and Lilinette walking into him unknowingly. "Stay here. I sense Nnoitra."

Lilinette complied and watched Stark head further down the hall. The view became clear almost instantly. Cyan managed to pin Nnoitra against the wall, her zanpakutō stabbed onto his shoulder, keeping him from moving. He looked severely beaten, blood falling out of his mouth, his clothes were torn, and there was a puddle of fresh blood beneath him. When he looked further down the hall he noticed his male fracción on the ground bleeding as well, beside him a severed arm, but it didn't belong to him. The puddle of blood beneath Nnoitra was explained by the missing left arm. A crude smile spread across Cyan's serious face.

"Fuck…you…" Nnoitra managed, before she twisted the blade inside his shoulder.

She laughed, mockingly. "I hope you enjoy dragging yourself—"

Stark walked over to her, catching her attention. Her eyes reflected some indifference, but he had taken care of her one too many times at that point. Nnoitra also turned to face Stark; his face was twisted in pain and rancor. Stark grabbed a hold of Cyan pulling her away from Nnoitra.

"You've had enough. Let him be."

"Let go!" she shouted, trying to yank herself out of his tight grip. Holding her tightly with one arm, he reached for her sword with the other, yanking it out painfully.

Nnoitra dropped onto the floor, breathing heavily and coughing up blood.

Cyan continued her struggle, trying to push Stark away, but he proved to be much stronger.

"You bitch!" Nnoitra cursed loudly. He stood up, reaching for his zanpakutō and throwing it towards them.

Stark ducked his head, pushing Cyan's head down as well, avoiding the attack. Stark handed her sword back to her, grabbing a hold of the chain of Nnoitra's weapon. He pushed Cyan forward. "I'm starting to get annoyed with both of you."

Before he could do something about Nnoitra, Cyan moved forward. He reached for her, feeling the sleek feeling of her hair caressing his fingers when he missed. Disappointment evident on his face, feeling something odd tugging at his insides, he couldn't explain it. She vanished and next appeared in front of Nnoitra slashing him across the torso and before he fell forward on the ground, she kicked him over.

He sighed. "You need to listen to me Cyan."

"No." Her voice was as soft as a whisper. From the looks of things, Nnoitra had been knocked unconscious.

"Why?"

She turned to him. "Uhm…" She fumbled for words and they heard footsteps approaching. She couldn't keep talking to him, that's what she wanted to say. But, that wasn't what he wanted to hear. As she sped towards her room, to look herself inside, Stark reached for her, grabbing her by the arm and helping her. Both of them appeared before Lilinette.

She stared at the two confused. "Just hurry to her room. She almost killed Nnoitra as expected." Stark ordered. Lilinette followed the two. She swore she would keep Stark in line and he was doing things on his own, so that was around the same affect she wanted. The three entered Cyan's room and she quickly rushed towards the main room where her bed was, putting her sword away.

He swore he could hear the small footsteps that occurred outside his bedroom like a reoccurring dream just by staring at her. The feelings he harbored were difficult to explain. There was a great sense of annoyance for the woman, she was quite the pessimist, and found ways to have trouble follow her. At the same time, he couldn't stop himself every time he stopped her from her violent acts. It might have been the fact that he wasn't motivated to fight, but maybe he didn't like the monster in Cyan. Lilinette was trying to distract herself somehow, but felt the tension in the room. It was frightening all at once.

"I think I'll go walk around Las Noches." She decided with a curt nod, turning around on her heel, and heading for the door. The door opened and shut.

"I'm waiting."

"Waiting?" he asked.

"Yes." She turned around. "My human memories are very integrated with my being. Even though I don't recall the exact emotions that many humans experience…I still want my human side to be fulfilled."

"What are you waiting for?"

"A man," she replied. "I'm not sure who he is, but maybe…I am Sayomi. I'm expectant of the mission in human world. Maybe that man is human. I might be able to meet him again."

Stark arched an eyebrow, bemused. He remained silent, finding the nearest wall and leaning against it as he waited for her to speak. He wasn't sure what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, but if he spoke, he'd blow off everything that she just mentioned. She was waiting for a man who was already dead.

"Why are you waiting?"

"Because those were the last words he spoke to me." She walked closer to him. "I can't sleep at night because they're so haunting." Stark eyed her carefully. She stared at him expectant to speak, but he didn't. "I wish they went away because they make me angry and at times I don't recall them."

"What if he never comes?"

"I'll keep waiting."

The likeness in their determination was frightening, but the idea that her care was directed to another was painfully brooding. But she would continue waiting. She had already, waited until a different lifetime for centuries even though nothing ever came to her about it.

"Do you remember anything about yourself?"

"Music," he replied. "All I hear is a sweet melody that never ceases."

"Were you in love with music?"

"No," he replied, morosely. "The sound of that melody makes the loneliness eat away at me."

"Stark."

"Hmm." He pushed his hands into his pockets.

"Are you still lonely?"

He couldn't answer that question.


	21. Seclusion

Chapter Twenty: Seclusion

Animosity spread throughout the entire room the second Cyan entered the room, followed by both Stark and Lilinette. There were two familiar faces and a third she thought was recognizable, but didn't take into account. Nnoitra's arm was no longer missing and Tesla looked like he was patched up particularly well. Cyan only regarded each one with a glance before turning towards Aizen, who as always wore no emotion on his face, only the fickle smile that played on his lips. The day would drag on and that time it wouldn't be in a good way. Cyan shifted her weight onto her right, placing her left hand on her hip, striking an impatient pose that went along well with the straight face. Her lips were only slightly pouty, noted by Stark, who tried to keep his eyes off the now clean woman. He had gotten used to the dry-blood look.

In Stark's opinion, Aizen didn't look pleased. The commotion in Las Noches had revolved around Cyan and Nnoitra. Somehow, he was dragged into the maelstrom and Lilinette walked right into it without knowing it. Regrettably, he was drawn in the minute he kicked Nnoitra in the face and suddenly wished he could take the action back. Standing in front of Aizen with the other arrancar in the room meant they were figured out and somehow, he and Cyan would get the worst punishments for bullying Nnoitra. Stark couldn't help but let the disdain show on his face. _Am I the only calm one?_ He asked himself, hoping there was an overlooking voice in his head to answer his question. Everyone was the complete embodiment of an anxiety-inducing emotion. He took note of it when he entered the room.

Lilinette to his right was standing there trying to keep a straight face, but her hands were balled into tiny fists showing her frustration. She was probably questioning her reason for being there. Stark had an idea. A small one, but it didn't matter.

Cyan had gotten into her thinking pose, shifting her weight to the right while placing her left hand on her hip. It was obvious to him that she was trying to be analytical instead of letting her anger replace her current _serene_ disposition, especially in front of Aizen. She was aware of the reasons as to why she was called in. Stark had figured it out before walking into the throne room after sensing Nnoitra's reiatsu inside. She had been biting on her nails on the way there, which was strange of her, yet he couldn't consider it anxiety or frustration, but whatever it was…it wasn't good for her.

Nnoitra had been…standing there, irritated. That wasn't new. But, the aggravation grew when the last three arrancar had stepped into the same room and he managed to flinch. He tried to hide it by disguising it as movement, but he did it when Cyan perched herself in front of everyone else. After so many confrontations, she finally achieved a piece of what she wanted. She instilled fear in him and it had quite the comical effect, but the other half of the deal was his death. That looked like it might take a while before being achieved.

Tesla, Nnoitra's loyal fracción, simply looked terrified. It was as if he was a man who said he didn't believe in ghost yet he saw one and felt his heart jumped out of his chest. That's what he looked like.

The girl next to him, Sinlen was the newest addition to Nnoitra's fracción; she looked like a fish out of water when everyone congregated. She was throwing nasty glares at both Cyan and Stark, but maybe he was the only one who noticed. _Why is she glaring at me?_ He wondered, getting off topic.

Aizen stared at them silently. There was enough turmoil in Las Noches to keep everyone occupied and he overlooked it, but having two members of the Espada and Cyan having conflicts that he couldn't simply neglect. There were always available replacements, but finding stronger Hollow to replace them would foil the strategy he already readied. "You all know why you're here, I assume?"

"I don't." Stark was prepared to leave. He had better things to do. Most of those things involved locking the door to his room and counting sheep, but _nobody_ cared what he did. He felt Lilinette's annoyed glare stabbing at his face. Aizen looked at him.

"You attacked another Espada and you've ignored the restrictions between yourself and Cyan."

"I didn't attack him, Aizen," he said slowly, "-_sama._" He had almost forgotten. "My foot slipped, that's it." It might have been a lie, but it wasn't_ too _farfetched. "As for the restrictions between me and the woman, I didn't ignore them, I just stumbled over them. Besides, she's the one ignoring them."

Cyan turned to him glaring. He noticed her and shrugged his shoulders. It was the truth. When he _stumbled over _the restrictions, she didn't put much effort in kicking him out of her room. Being unconscious or in the midst of passion were not good excuses. He redeemed himself by prying her off Nnoitra when she attacked him, so he shouldn't take the blame for that kick. He could even consider it self-defense, if he twisted both encounters.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that, Stark?" That was Aizen's cold response. Here they all thought the atmosphere couldn't get any colder and there it went, along with higher levels of cruel intentions and acrimony.

Stark scratched the back of his head. All the animosity was indeed directed at him for the moment. "Well, I wasn't going to put my own head on the chopping block," he remarked, passively. Cyan had that look in her eye that told him she would get him back for what he did. He wasn't sure what he did was wrong. He wasn't the one that took offense, she did.

Ignoring his last comment, he turned to face both Nnoitra and Cyan. "Even after having removed both of you from each other, you've continued to antagonize one another in endless battle." He had taken that reprimanding tone and before he continued, Cyan spoke first.

"As antagonizing as it may be, weren't you the one to let us go after one another in a fight to _test_ me," she stated. Her voice was clear. "I'm sure you knew yourself that I would indefinitely hunt him down after having ridiculed me, didn't you, Aizen-sama?"

She was right. "Killing each other won't solve anything, and neither will Stark's involvement."

Stark rolled his eyes. "I only _kicked _him, that's not involved at all, Aizen-sama."

"Shut the_ fuck_ up!" Nnoitra shouted, fed up with the one-sided stories. Stark wasn't innocent and neither was Cyan. He wasn't saying he was because all he wanted to do was kill the woman, which is what he tried to do. "I'm sure this bitch has you wrapped around her finger."

"I don't see myself on it," Stark replied, turning away.

"Fuck you! It was a figure of speech!" Nnoitra stated, furious.

"I know what it was," Stark said. "I'm not stupid." He felt Lilinette grab a hold of his pants.

"_Shut up before I hurt you!_" she threatened, whispering.

"You're acting pretty stupid! What happened? Yer letting a girl get to ya?" Nnoitra pressed.

"Shut up," Stark stated, irritated. "You're already on my nerves." He looked at the back of Cyan's head. "And she's not a woman, she's a demon."

Cyan turned to face him. "Shut up!" she shouted, aggravated. "Both of you are stupid and I'm sure everyone in this room has acknowledged that fact! No need for you to keep at it!"

"Don't talk about Nnoitra-sama that—"

"Shut up Tesla!" she interrupted.

"Don't talk to Tesla—"

"Fuck!" Cyan cursed, interrupting Sinlen. "I should have killed you last time—see what you've done." She turned towards Stark, who was trying to stifle a yawn.

"Enough!" Aizen's voice called. All of them turned their attention back to their leader. The words that followed his call seemed harmless at first until they were carried out. When the _punishment _was in motion, all five of them had much thinking to do.

* * *

Each of them took their punishment differently. Aizen, being the impatient man he really was, learned how tired he was of dealing with them, so he passed the conversation to Gin. Ichimaru Gin, being a man with a big imagination, thought it would be the ultimate form of amusement to lock all five of them in a cell. Only one and most definitely the largest they've seen. They weren't aware of the cells beneath Las Noches, so it was a bit shocking to see. At least for Cyan, Lilinette, Sinlen, Tesla, and possibly Nnoitra, while Stark continued trying to conceal his evident drowsiness.

With their weapons confiscated, the cell door slammed shut after all five of them entered the room. It didn't take long for Stark to find a corner to lie down in. Nnoitra glared at Cyan, who ignored him. Tesla and Sinlen were both standing next to each other wordlessly. Lilinette kicked Stark angrily. "Ow!" he shouted.

"This is your fault!" Lilinette shouted.

"It's their fault," Stark stated, pointing at Cyan and Nnoitra. "I'm the only innocent one here."

"You're as guilty as them!"

Gin chuckled amused. "I'll leave ya here, but I'll call Ulquiorra to make sure ya all don't kill each other," he stated, laughing darkly. He earned an earnest glare from Cyan, as she stood closest to the bars. Gin turned away and left.

Cyan reached for the bars, but felt a sharp sting when she touched it. "Perfect," she commented. "We're stuck now."

"This is jus' fucking great!" Nnoitra cursed, kicking the wall. Even though he put a good amount of force behind the kick, nothing happened to the wall. Not even a dent. "What the fuck is this shithole made out?"

"Babies," Cyan replied, sardonically.

"No one asked you, bitch!" he rebuked.

"Shut up!" Stark complained, rolling over. "I'm trying to sleep over here."

"I wish you nightmares," Cyan cursed.

"Sure, if I dreamt."

"If it wasn't for you we would be in here." The blame game suddenly began. Cyan was pointing the finger at Nnoitra at that point. The taller male was not happy with the game, but angrily went along with it.

"I didn't start shit and ya know it!" he retorted. "Yer the stupid bitch that came back to take revenge!"

"Yeah, I did, and I'm glad you got your arm back," she praised, sarcastically. "I just hate the fact you didn't roll over and died you useless prick."

"Fuck you Cyan!" Nnoitra shouted.

Lilinette was sitting next to Stark, watching the argument go back and forth. Nnoitra's fracción stood there, cringing at every insult and the pulse of both their reiatsus in the room. The altercation would turn into a physical fight since the words weren't getting any lighter. All that time, Cyan never seemed like one to fight back, but it might have been the fact that Aizen seemed disappointed in her (if that was even evident). Lilinette found their argument childish and was glad Stark turned to sleep instead of staying involved. He had a lot of blame too. He sought Nnoitra out to kick him in the face after Cyan returned to her room half-dead.

To his last comment, she laughed. "Why don't you just take a corner and cry over the fact that you were beaten by a girl!" she countered.

Nnoitra balled his hand into a fist and instantly swung it at her. Cyan moved her head out of the way and caught his arm. She grabbed him firmly, turning her body around and flipping him violently over her shoulder. She laughed, mockingly.

"You bitch!" Nnoitra cursed. He hit the ground hard.

Tesla and Sinlen rushed to him. Tesla tried to help him up, but Nnoitra shoved him out of the way. The blond man landed somewhere near Lilinette, who merely moved over an inch. Again, Nnoitra lunged himself towards Cyan, who prepared herself to fend him off. This time instead of her having to hurt him in any form, a voice caused him to stop. "Nnoitra, leave Cyan be."

Nnoitra turned around to meet Ulquiorra, his face was expressionless. The man was standing a few feet from the cell, arms at his side in a cool demeanor, piercing green eyes and dark lines running down his face. "Aizen-sama has asked me to make sure you all don't murder each other." His eyes glanced over to the Primera, who was asleep in the corner. "Both of you predominantly."

"Tsk."

Cyan sat down in the center of the room since Aizen's guard dog showed up. He had probably been directed to make sure they wouldn't kill each other by all means possible, even if it meant using violence. Nnoitra found a place to lean on against the wall. Tesla returned to his superior's side. Sinlen stood beside Tesla. Cyan experienced firsthand the hate Nnoitra had for most women, the fact he had picked up another female fracción was simply hilarious. He had hated her with a passion when she was his more aloof fracción and went out of his way to get her to show some vulnerability so he could get the gist of why Aizen was so interested in her.

If only they knew the true reason for his interest? Everyone, not just Nnoitra, but she knew that none of them would be able to understand. Regardless of how many times she had tried, she could never understand it either. Her eyes fell towards the ground, watching nothing in particular since she was deep in thought.

Ulquiorra's entrance seemed to have…_depressed_ the ambiance. The silence fell like a crash over the palace, unheard, noted by some, while strange noises filled the room. Stark was snoring in the corner, disturbing everyone's peace and Lilinette had her hand over her face, a mixture of emotions on her expression.

"An' he tells us to shut up," Nnoitra commented with a huff.

"You're the one that needs to learn to shut up." Cyan felt a headache coming along.

"No one was talkin' ta ya bitch."

"My name is Cyan."

"Doesn't change the fact yer still a bitch," he rebuked, keeping his cool.

"Of course," she answered curtly.

She crossed her arms over her chest, boredom crossing her features. The feeling seemed mutual. Everyone was doing something to try to ignore the boredom, but the only one doing the best job at it was Stark.

"I hope ya die when ya head to human world," Nnoitra cursed staring at Cyan with disgust. "Yer probably gonna mess it all up anyways." Something about his words made her cringe.

As much as she would have hoped to continue ignoring him in silence, the weight on her shoulders suddenly got heavier. She felt vulnerable. The mission in the real world would begin tomorrow. She would leave then and possibly never return to Las Noches. She wished that wasn't the case, and swore to herself to keep because she had finally found a piece of herself amongst the turmoil in this white desert.

Wandering endlessly, calling a name that sounded so odd to her, until it finally faded from her memory. It was around then that survival became a quintessential approach to ease away the pain. "Then I hope I do ruin the mission," Cyan said, speaking slowly. "Then when I return, I make sure you disappear…permanently." A smile appeared on her face, a devilish one that held truth to her statement.

_"It's no longer an entitled opinion, from now on this is the world we spawned from and the place where we were both meant to create life and let it croak…it's over." Speaking as clearly as I could, I tried to reciprocate the same words in my head again, assuring myself that in the real world we had always been viewed as two separate beings. Even if our own distant personalities and our painfully familiar lifestyles brought us both together…they were the same reasons we were parting. This being my final day in this rural town, I knew I would continue to miss it. I had much life left in me and regrettably, I'd spend it away from my family. __**Like glass the world that balanced us fell over the linoleum, shattering into a thousand pieces…leaving the jagged shards on the ground floating in its own ultimatum, blood had been spilled.**__"Will you not speak?" _

_Though the question was simple, my eyes traced every outline of his features, memorizing every inch of him. Night would come, a cold defiant gust that would sweep over us, leaving us out in the middle of desolation. His mouth curved into a small smile. "I have a final request from you then." He eyed my expression, his fingers tracing the outline of my jaw, lifting my face up by an inch. My eyes looked expectant and glistening, yet severely apathetic. "__**When you've reached the corners of your universe, tied or standing, wait for me and I will surely arrive.**__"_

_Let them be simple words to allow me to forget my ardor. But regardless of the eminent struggle, they would serve as a blessing. Allowing me the final inch of hope I deserved to redesign my broken pride. He still saw me the same way as the first time we had met, resilient and determined. Waiting for love would be nothing like me, but I might as well be willing to satisfy myself. I needed that sense of fulfillment. _

_"Will you…wait for me…?" he asked, slowly. _

_I nodded slowly. Closing my eyes I felt my heart deteriorate faster than it had when my father informed me of moving. It wasn't as disturbing as the fact that in order to redeem myself, I would marry once more. It had only been a year since the death of my first husband. I would be forced to marry again to someone of less importance. It was a person…that knew my lover's face particularly well. Knowing that much forced him to turn his back against me, which was ever so pleasing to my father. "Come back to me though."_

* * *

The smell of blood was thick in the air, something he had come to familiarize with Cyan. There was an eerie air about it causing his stomach to churn in sheer repugnance. The smell of blood followed by the scent of charred flesh and other pieces he didn't want to put a name on. He felt something heavy on his torso and felt the thick trickle of blood falling onto his chest. It was hard to stay unconscious at that point, feeling a bit nauseous. He opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was the splay of vibrant pink hair lying on him in waves. He noted small red tints in her hair as he ran his fingers over her head. The texture of her hair was rough, unlike the other times, and sullied with dry blood. He reached for her head and felt something strange, a running gash opened over the side of her head. His eyes opened wide as he pulled himself to a seat, getting a better look a Cyan.

Skin paled, deep gash on the side of her face, her eyes were lifeless, arms were broken, and legs were limp. His own clothes were covered in dry blood. "What the hell…" he inquired slowly, cutting himself off. His eyes darted towards his surroundings. They were in the middle of the white desert. He couldn't remember anything. He had fallen asleep after all, out of boredom and as a way to avoid trouble. But what happened? He wasn't one to sleepwalk. His eyes went back to the body on his lap, his arms wound around her slowly. "Cyan," he called. His hand sat at the side of her face, her skin was cold.

He placed head over her chest, expectant to hear a heartbeat but there was no sound. He pulled himself up to his feet, leaving her body on the sand. He looked around, not sure of what he meant to see. A clue was possibly the one thing he needed. Cyan was dead. _When was she killed? Who?_ Thoughts plagued his mind, disturbing the peace he had acquired. _Where's Lilinette?_

"I'm over here." The small voice called from behind.

Stark turned around to face the smaller girl. She hadn't been harmed, but there was no explanation as to why…Cyan was the only one _dead_? The words themselves were hard to think. They caused a sharp pain in his chest that made him wonder how hollow it was in there. "What happened?" he asked.

Lilinette arched an eyebrow. "You don't…remember…?" she asked, slowly.

"_Why is Cyan dead?_" he asked, serious. He need one name and would make something of it, even if the next punishment would be severe, he swore he wouldn't care.

"You're the one that did it."

The shock spread throughout his features. "Lilinette…" He composed himself, narrowing his eyes at the girl. She hadn't made any move to approach him.

"You were," she continued. "You dragged us both out here and well…you killed her."

"No."

"She's dead."

"No." He turned towards her, mild shock evident on his face. He crouched down in front of her.

Lilinette stepped forward a bit. "She helped in her own way," Lilinette began, slowly. "It wasn't lonely anymore, was it?"

Why did he suddenly fell his other half was antagonizing him? He frowned. Even if that was the truth, he had felt a tinge of sadness at the display. Her features had dulled, apart from the vivacious ways he recalled them when she was with him. He especially liked the way she smiled. There was always a hint of innocence and melancholy attached to it. He wanted to continue seeing it because when he had the warmth never escaped his body. The isolation he had placed himself was no longer a boundary for her because she found her own way to step past it. Even if he knew it was a mistake having met her…it was probably the best.

He finally had the recollection he needed. Everything before his eyes was an illusion. Now, he remembered…

* * *

The light punishment was followed by a severe one. Gin's amusing take on the penalty of their actions was letting all of them off too easily. The three fracción were asked to leave, assuring them that their master's had a higher price to pay. While Lilinette protested on leaving Stark's side, she was asked to listen by him. Nnoitra's rash actions and savagery directed at Cyan was taken care of by using him for torture. It was meant to be slow, painful, and exceedingly cruel. Nnoitra found himself tied against a wall, bound by kidō, which he found difficult to more around with the cuffs. Whenever he moved, he felt the sting against his skin badgering him. Even after the severe part of his punishment was over, Aizen wasn't done giving away the bad news.

"I should apologize to you for having taken this job," Szayel Aporro Grantz stated, walking out of the cell. "But, I found you to be quiet amusing, Nnoitra."

"Fuck you!" Nnoitra spat.

"It's not my fault you're in here, you simply should have known better. Cyan de Imortell is a stronger arrancar that yourself," Szayel Aporro reminded. "It's much like the Neliel Tu Oderschvank incident where my help would be required. I would never allow myself to lay a hand on the specimen that is Cyan. She is too much an oddity. If only it had been her I was to torment."

"Go fuck yerself if yer fuckin' done, you prick!" Nnoitra spat. There was a thick trail of blood running down his mouth. Each time he spoke a large amount would splay over his dirty clothing. There were rips and long gashes running along his slim torso. Most of them were just carved over his skin; being thrown at a lunatic to torture him freely he could expect much more than just a few wounds. He had a lot in mind.

"Well, well, looks to me like my time to go has already come," Szayel Aporro said. The playful smile on his face had vanished.

There were footsteps approaching them and soon Aizen came into view. "You may return to your place now, Szayel Aporro," he ordered.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," the man said, walking away.

"As cruel as this may seem, it wasn't too harsh, was it?" Aizen inquired.

Nnoitra spat more blood onto the ground. He had no intention of asking, he was pissed off, and that was an understatement. He felt his body numb from his head to his torso, while his legs were getting to that point. His arm, which had been previously fixed, was already torn at the seams. It was disgusting, his arm hanging from a single thread. There were flakes of flesh on the ground.

"From today onward, you will no longer be a member of the Espada," Aizen began, breaking the silence. At that comment, Nnoitra flinched. His face twisted in repugnance and rage. "Your title will be handed over to Cyan; she has proven to be much stronger than you."

"What the fuck?"

"That is all," Aizen said, stepping away. "You should be released within the hour." Aizen turned on his heel and made his way out of the dingy basement.

Nnoitra gritted his teeth. He screamed angrily. Not only had he been demoted, he lost his place to the woman he had grown to hate the most. She and Stark were probably making a mockery out of him.

* * *

"I'll let him be…just stop—" Cyan let her head drop, twisted in pain and disgust. "—_touching me_…" Tears fell down her face, rolling down the outline of her jaw. Too much information for her to process all at once, she was bombarded with stupid human emotions. There was a mixture of pain, jealously, hate, disgust and…another. She wanted to escape, run back to her room, lie down, and wait. Waiting was the only thing that had been keeping her sane regardless of how much she hated her body. It might have looked like her own when she was a human, but it also looked like the woman Aizen had held much regard towards. It was repugnant.

He turned Cyan's face up, his fingers tracing the outline of her jaw, wiping the tears away with his thumb. "It definitely odd to see you cry, are you that desperate, Cyan?" he inquired, leaning closer to her.

"It's not desperation, _I'm disgusted_," she spat, glaring at him. "I'm not the same woman."

"Yet ever curve of your body is the same, the outline of your face is also the mirror image, piercing eyes and full lips," he commented. "It's hard to take your word for this, when you look very much like her." He leaned closer to her ear. "It's quite intriguing that you even taste the same." It sent chills down her spine. "Besides, you're seeking closure from someone who can't even provide enough for himself."

"But…I wasn't," she whispered. "I just wanted to speak with another arrancar." It had begun in that sense. But the only reason she wanted to speak to other arrancar was that Stark had been the one to say something first. Upon their first meeting he had figure her out completely and ashamed of her own reality, she denied it. Before she met with any Espada, after her rebirth, whilst the memories of her past proved to be much more haunting than the isolation in Hueco Mundo…she found peace.

A sacrifice was all she was. From the very start, because Sayomi was a shinigami when she was still alive. She wasn't strong and she wasn't very pretty, but she had spirit that burned wildly. She was someone that everyone knew, and she was quite the perceptive woman. She was engaged as well. Her fiancé was a captain in Soul Society and he loved her very much.

Sayomi was the contrast of the woman Cyan constantly noted in her memories. She was proud, in love, and reckless. The fickleness of society had tried to contain her being by breaking her. She was stupid. She was an idiot who swore to wait even after death for a useless man that did nothing but rip apart her chest and tore her hopeless heart out.

Aizen chuckled. "You're simply desperate, Cyan." He pushed her forward, allowing her to fall onto the ground. "What have you gained from this pathetic chase? Are you fulfilled?"

"No," she whispered. Her hands tidied her clothing, putting it back in place, trying to ignore the nauseating experience. "I'm not looking to earn anything. I just wanted someone to talk to."

"You've had your chance of talking, you've made more than a few enemies, and you've almost killed a member of my Espada. Then you audaciously involved my Primera." He had recited those words more than once, each time they were more forceful, full of mockery and hate. "You must remember your place."

"I've never forgotten it," she assured him.

"Enlighten me."

"I'm just the sacrifice that will aid in your plans to get the King's Key," she said, pulling herself up to her feet.

"Good."

"Might I be excused, Aizen-sama?"

"I'd like you to stay here."

Like an inevitable crash, unexpected and distorted, she fell. Like the stars in the skies, which once sit quietly, she defected. Her hands balled into fists as her eyes glistened. She felt beyond peeved. In that single second as she succumbed to orders, her very being became a puppet that found a way to move on its own, following the dictation she received from her leader. She hated him.

* * *

Two mornings later, trying to resist the urge to meet her, he realized that it was close to impossible. Instead of fighting against the urge, he let it guide him. His eyes were swollen from the lack of sleep and as he walked down the hall, he stifled a yawn. It was since he realized Aizen used his sword to give him a fair warning to keep away from Cyan and stop antagonizing Nnoitra, who had been kicked off the Espada. There had been a meeting the previous day and Stark tried hard not to look over at Cyan, who was sitting beside him. Ulquiorra had been given a mission in the human world, he was supposed to create a diversion for Cyan, and Yammy decided he wanted to tag along. Stark suddenly wanted to do the same, just tag along seeing as Yammy got his way, but he knew better. So he decided against that.

After the meeting, Stark hoped to talk to Cyan, but she brushed him aside and left speaking with Szayel Aporro. He spent the rest of the day irritated, trying to keep himself occupied by playing silly games with Lilinette and following her direction. It wasn't fun at all. He hated walking so much, but noticed he couldn't even sleep. He was thinking too much about the woman that became the Quinta Espada. Maybe it was a phase that would go away when she did. If she did leave, would that mean he wouldn't sleep again?

That led to his imposing visit that day. He wanted to make sure that the effects of her leaving wouldn't be as hard-hitting as he thought they would be. Her room was moved yet again, somewhere closer to his reach, or maybe it had been for other purposes, but it was located in the tower nearest his. So near, yet when he watched her look out the window, knowing he was there, she never once looked in his direction.

It irritated him.

He climbed the stairs slowly, counting the steps and reminding himself that he probably wouldn't need to use them if he used sonido. Even doing that took too much trouble for him. The flight of stairs ended much faster than he expected and he took the next hall. He entered her room. It was fairly larger than the previous one, but it was still small. He shut the door and heard some movement from the inside.

As soon as he stepped past the small hall leading to the main room, a sword was swung his way. He ducked and looked up at Cyan, who had attacked him. "Stark?" she inquired slowly. She didn't seem surprised, it was just the fact that he was even in her room. She moved away from him and sheathed her blade.

Stark eyed her carefully. Since her promotion she had began dressing differently, but that was the first chance he had to see her up close. Wearing a longer coat with a high collar, her shoulders were still bare, and her jacket sat open over her navel. Instead of hakama, she was wearing small shorts that showed off way too much thigh. He frowned, trying to pull his eyes away from her legs.

"Stark," she called again, stepping back.

He looked at her. "You've been avoiding me."

"You're violating our boundaries," she rebuked.

"You can't excuse one intrusion from me."

"No."

"You're a terrible woman."

Cyan rolled her eyes, watching him invite himself further into her room. He found his way to the couch, lying down on it. She glared at him. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," he replied, unable to say it. He pulled his arms behind his head and closed his eyes.

Cyan leaned her zanpakutō against the wall and walked over to him. Cyan climbed over him, her arms at the side of his head. At their proximities, Stark opened his eyes, staring up her serious expression.

"Is this how you greet everyone who comes into your room?"

"Do you even care?" she asked.

"I do."

"Why?"

"Hmm," he replied, shrugging.

"You must have nothing to do then."

"I don't."

Cyan let her body rest on his, her head resting on his chest. "Do you mind?" she asked.

"No." Cyan's body melded into his perfectly, bringing back memories of their encounter a few days ago. Her arm wrapped around him securely. She let out a sigh.

"What did you come here for?"

"To fall asleep," he replied.

"You're so boring."

"But, even that doesn't keep you away," Stark replied, holding back a smile.

"You never answered my question last time," she began, slowly, turning her face towards his. "Maybe that's why I haven't kicked you out."

Stark remained silent for a good amount of time, allowing Cyan to prop herself up over him. He pulled his arms from under his head and reached for the strands of hair that fell over her shoulder. "I thought I did," he said, passively.

She shook her head.

"I don't."


	22. Craving

Chapter Twenty-One: Craving…

_She is a figment of reality. _

_Her heart flutters like ripples on water. _

_Her eyes, the way they seem to make him feel, _

_the security in her arms that makes him wish-_

_to stay…forever in her warm embrace._

The evening glow cast warmth upon their bodies; his quiet snores were heard while her light breathing mixed faintly. Though awake, she continued remaining at his side. Half her body lay over his, legs entwined over one another, while his arm held her securely. Her head rested over his chest, listening to the beating of his heart. It was calm, soothing, but at instances the tranquility it instilled in her felt more melancholic. He felt her heartbeat against his side. It was rapid, fluttering, yet so lifeless. Both of them wondered how broken they were. Exactly how much of themselves had they lost as the days ticked by in Las Noches?

Cyan's eyes opened slightly. She felt her fingers twitch and then trace a small circle over Stark's chest. His arm pulled her closer, squeezing her against him. She nuzzled closer to him, pressing her face closer to his. He shifted uncomfortably, leaning too close to the edge. Cyan hadn't noticed until she felt his grip tighten, her body rolled over his, hitting the ground hard, followed by Stark's blunt weight falling on her. Cyan let out an uncomfortable grunt, in pain and asphyxiation. Stark hit his head hard against the ground, but didn't do much other than groan in pain. He moved his weight onto the ground, still reluctant to let go of her.

"Stark," she called, taking a deep breath. She moved her body away, but he quickly followed her movements. "Stop fooling around!"

"You're so noisy, shut up," he muttered. Cyan felt his warm breath against her face as he spoke. "Just go back to sleep."

"I have more important things to do than sleep!" she protested.

"Making others hate you isn't a healthy hobby," he replied, bringing her face closer to his.

Cyan's eyes narrowed. "You loathe me?" she inquired. "Look where it got us."

Stark opened his eyes and propped himself up, staring down at her with a frown. "So, what you're saying is you get people to loathe you so you can sleep on them?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. Her tone was serious even though she tried to hide the evident sarcasm. In the little chasm in her mind a single though swept by that maybe, just maybe Stark was tolerable when sleeping.

He glared at her, felling something churn derisively inside of him. Cyan didn't hesitate to hold her ground against him. He let himself lie down besides her, pulling her back against him. There was a distasteful feeling about that momentary churn he felt in the pit of his stomach from her upfront confession. What did he care if she was sleeping with all of Las Noches, she meant nothing to him. He continued confirming that fact to himself.

Cyan pushed her body off, undoing his grip and moving towards her door. He let out a groan. "Cyan, come back," he ordered, sitting up.

"I need you to leave, and if it means leading you to the door, I'll do it," she stated, pulling the door open and turning around to face him, caught up in her own speech. "I have things to do and—"

Stark appeared in front of her and slammed the door shut, letting out a quick yawn.

"Stop fooling around!"

Stark pulled her face up and stared at her seriously. "I need you to promise me something, now that you're going away."

"No," she replied, confused. Her feelings had gone awry since her heart started beating faster. His face was only inches apart from hers. Consumed by her own perplexity, she couldn't get out anything meaningfully, other than that single word of refusal.

"I need you to promise me you won't fall in love with some human while you're incognito," he stated bluntly.

Cyan blinked. Why would he ask something like that from her? She inquired mentally. Her heartbeat slowed down and her hands managed to get clammy. Was that some sort of way to say—no, it wouldn't be an expression of his own feelings, she told herself. She shook her head, placing her hands against her flustered cheeks. She looked back at his serious expression and frowned, composing herself. "What do you care what I do over there?" she stated, turning away.

"I care because it'll take days to get the human stink off you," he replied, mentally slapping himself. He didn't want to say that, but it had come out wrong…maybe it was for the best—

_SLAP!_

—maybe it wasn't. Cyan looked furious and hurt at the same time. Her eyes glistened with hints of tears. "Just go back to sleep!" she ordered.

Stark turned to face her completely, but she sped past him. He rushed towards her catching her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. He leaned closer to her ear, pulling her back against his chest. Cyan pulled her hands over her face. She felt pained and offended over the silliest things. What was wrong with her? Why did it hurt? Had Aizen been right? Had she been too desperate? At that point, his words were solid, confirming every offset emotion going through her state of mind. It was a natural reaction for her to feel so inclined towards Stark.

"I'll miss you," he whispered, pressing his lips against her head.

Surprised, Cyan turned back. Her lips parted to speak, but no words rolled from her tongue. Stark held her face in place with his hand as he leaned forwards pressed his lips against hers forcefully. He felt her tremble, her hand finding its way over his. His fingers laced over hers as she moved her body slightly to find comfort when she deepened the kiss.

Stark pushed her against the wall, drawing her hips closer to his. Cyan closed her eyes, letting out a sigh, moving her hands to the wall, one of his kept hers in place while the other reached for the zipper of her jacket, pulling it down. "Stark, we can't," she whispered, breaking the kiss.

"We can," he whispered huskily, running his free hand over her breasts. Cyan bit her lip, keeping her pleasure to herself.

"Please." She shut her eyes tightly. He gripped onto her harshly, making her groan. He reached for her jacket and she tried to cover herself. He sensed something else was bothering her, since she wouldn't normally be so reluctant. He turned her around forcefully, to have a look at her.

Stark realized what she was doing. She was hiding the faint marking on her neck and other parts of her body, which had been placed according to how her clothes covered. He took a step back. What was that emotion overcoming him? Cyan took her jacket back, wiping away the water threatening to spill from the rims of her eyes. It had been awful to have him see the truth of it all. How easily his assumption from that day was confirmed…but was this heartbreak?

She quickly went to her bed, zipping her jacket back up. She sat with her back towards Stark, expecting him to leave. It was a deep, rapturous sentiment torn at the chest, ripping it open carelessly. How human she was? She internally cursed. How defectively human she had become. She hated herself.

Her eyes fluttered open in shock when she felt Stark's back hit hers. "I thought you'd leave."

"I thought so too," he confirmed.

"Why didn't you?" she asked, holding back her deepest sentiments.

"You're leaving tomorrow, and you're kicking me out?" he asked, irritated.

Cyan turned her head slightly. He was looking straight ahead. The warmth of his back filled her cold exterior with glee. She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around him securely. She let her head fall against his back. His hand combed over her hair, leaving a soothing refreshment that calmed her senses with his touch. "I want to stay," she whispered, "with you."

"You really are defected," Stark commented.

Cyan only nodded in agreement, closing her eyes. Acting like a human came to her almost naturally. As she had observed man times before, they were overemotional and pitiful. They were fickle and vain because humans were truly a disgrace.

Cyan opened her eyes to a slit, looking up at him. His expression was grim and he was silent as if he pondered over a subject she would never understand. He held one hand over his chest while the other sat on her head. Cyan closed her eyes once more, leaning closer to him, placing a small kiss on his cheek. He turned to her, his expression softened. He reached up to cup her face in his hands, pulling her closer to him so she would look him in the eyes with sincerity. "I want to erase them all for you."

Cyan looked at him, perplexed by his statement. How could he erase the damage done? She looked down, but he forced her to look back at him. He leaned down towards for, whisking past her and planting his lips against the nape of her exposed neck. He moved her jacket further over her shoulders, tracing his lips against that piece of skin. He sucked on her neck gently, causing her to grip onto him tightly. He continued similar ministrations, covering every mark left behind, and replacing it with his own.

"Cyan," he called softly.

Cyan turned to him, a sweet smile had returned to her features. She seemed serene and slightly playful. More when she moved onto him, asking for permission to do things she didn't need to ask for. She was free to touch him as much as she wished because he wanted to feel her closer. She may have been a simple sacrificed, but…she's done more than enough to keep him beside her. She ran her sleek fingers over his skin, playfully.

Stark closed his eyes. Her hands were cool as she traced them over his face a while longer before she tried pulling the sash around him off. Tentatively, she proceeded to open his jacket. Her lips were pressed against his chest, mouth parted slightly. He felt the flicker of her tongue against his naked skin. A sigh escaped his lips. Her soft lips continued leaving bits of warmth over his torso. Elusive kisses were planted over his abdomen as her hands held onto him tightly. His body tensed, every inch of him was warming up quickly. He folded one of his legs, trapping her between them.

She sucked on his skin, leaving small noticeable marks on purpose. She made her way back up slowly and kissed his jawline. He grabbed her face roughly, bringing her mouth to his. His lips were rough against hers and his tongue was quick to part her mouth. She reacted, tilting her head to the left and wrapping her arms around his neck. She ran her tongue over his sensually. She was taking dominance. He lifted his body up slightly, pulling her onto his lap. He bit her lower lip as they were about to break the kiss. She groaned in response. She pressed her body against his; kissing him once more before letting her head fall over his shoulder. He nuzzled into her neck, taking in the scent of her hair.

He could tell how attached she had grown to him. Her grip around him only continued to tighten, fearful of him taking his leave. As if she thought, he would be capable of leaving if she were to let him go, but that's what she would do if Stark let go of her waist. He allowed his own grip to tighten around her, still denying how attached he had grown to her. The feelings would fade away when she's gone, he told himself. Soon they will become nothing more than strays. His thoughts were all too contradicting. Though, it was hard to measure how much he wanted her and for how long. If those were his present motives, he wasn't treating her any different from a common plaything.

Instinctively, once that thought crossed his mind he pulled her away from his body, hands on her cheeks. He looked into her face. She was beautiful in her own way. Maybe it was his tastes, or she was the type to attract all sorts of men. She managed to get under his skin quite well and he held no regard for any other arrancar women. Cyan was the first and she had to be complicated and troublesome.

He stared at her face, she was warm, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her lips were swollen and her eyes were glazed over. He pulled her face down towards him and waited for her to make a move. She hesitantly leaned forward, keeping her eyes on his, as he scrutinized her for reasons unknown. She allowed herself to indulge in the taste of his mouth, but he didn't move. She moved away from him.

Stark watched her raise an eyebrow concerned. In return, he allowed a smirk to crawl over his features. Cyan's face turned red quickly as she looked at him, blinking. She was too fun to watch sometimes. Stark let himself fall onto the bed, allowing her to fall onto his chest. He continued to hold her. She rested her head comfortably, turning her face slightly to plan a kiss against his collarbone.

Cyan closed her eyes, feeling something warm igniting inside of her, slowly rising, consuming her in heat. She tore her mind from taking advantage of him. He was breathing easy, which meant he might have already fallen asleep. In turn, she allowed her tense muscles to relax, her burning skin to cool, and her lips to part. One last breath and she was done. Unbeknownst to her, Stark was still awake. He opened his eyes to scan over her lean figure. She had settled in the nook between his arm and body. His arm was draped over her shoulder; He ran his fingers over her exposed skin and let his hand settle on her shoulder, pulling her on him slightly.

He let out a sigh, closing his eyes again. What does she mean to me? He wondered. If he could explain how she made him feel and to what that even meant. Before he managed to spook away his drowsiness, he allowed it to overcome him. Lingering thoughts remained in his head, plaguing his very existence, but more importantly, why her?

_I placed myself on the stool, positioning my fingers as she had once ordered over the keys of the piano. The shadows of her lingering fingers remained over the white making my heartache in turn. Missing her. Still, loving her. Caring for her. Desiring her skin. Why had she been taken from me? Why? It was an unintentional sin._

Cyan's mind wasn't tranquil either, very much like Stark's, hers recalling a distant memory that seemed to have shattered every piece of her heart.

_I placed my fingers over the keys of the piano. I shot a small glance to the doorway, hoping this melody would attract him, even though he was spending time with Clara in the garden. My existence was obscured from his life, all the work of my father. Even so, I cared little for his imposing rules. This was still my life and I had every right to govern it._

_My fingers began to play a sordid introduction. The idea of the song was to have a dreadful beginning, expressing the deepest lament until in transcended into tranquil evanescence. _

_I felt myself smile at the sound of the door opening. My glance darted to the left and my eyes widened. My fingers dropped had against the next keys, missing the escalated note, creating a distorted sound. I jolted off my seat, staring at the blond man at the doorway._

_"Not who you were expecting, I trust?" he inquired, a devilish smirk on his face._

_"I wasn't expecting anyone, my lord," I lied. "You've disturbed my music and if you have not been informed, I enjoy my peace and quiet when I play the piano."_

_"Such beautiful music should be heard by an audience."_

_"I—"_

_The door swung open. The man I had been expecting walked inside, seemingly expectant. He cast a single glance at the blond man before turning towards me. "Might I ask for a private audience, my lady?"_

_"You may not," the other man answered, giving her no time to speak._

_The latter glared. "Seeing as you've yet to gain the acceptance for her hand, you've no right to speak for her yet," he stated._

_"I'll have you know the arrangements have been finalized."_

_"What?" We said in unison. Father had finally accomplished what he has wanted, tearing us apart._

_The blond man smirked victoriously. "As you can see, she will soon belong to me," he declared. "You will become a speck of unimportance in her life. Leave us."_

_The dark-haired make turned towards me, giving me a stern look. I shook my head, hesitantly, trying to ask him to stay. He turned away and headed straight out the door. I shut my eyes tightly. How could he do this to me?_

* * *

Stomping down the long halls of Las Noches with great reluctance, Lilinette came into view. Her mind was filled with angry thoughts. Where the hell is he? She shouted mentally. Did he go to Cyan? Ah—just as I was getting him to listen to me too! She trotted up a flight of stairs, looking left and right in search of Stark. He was definitely hiding and he was doing a good job. She tried searching for Cyan, but she was practically a ghost. She could rip her hair out at that point. She thought that since he had gotten a personal warning from Aizen, he'd follow through, but he didn't.

Lilinette turned down a hallway in the next tower. She heard the click of a door. She turned around to catch Stark red-handed. He had Cyan's frame melded against his, her hands were at his chest trying to push him off while his were on her cheeks. As shady as that scene looked, two grown adults kissing, while one seemed reluctant made her think twice. Had Stark always been a pervert? He was the one forcing himself on the poor woman and all this time she had been blaming Cyan. He was giving them a bad name! How dare he?

Lilinette didn't waste any time after confirming her thoughts. Cyan tried to push him off, but he grabbed her roughly once more. Lilinette kicked him in the leg. Stark bit his tongue when the hit landed and let go of Cyan. "Ow!" he complained, grabbing his leg. He glanced over to Lilinette. "What are you doing, Lilinette?"

"Leave the poor woman alone, you pervert!" she demanded.

"Insult me and you insult yourself," Stark replied, rubbing his leg.

"Shut up!" Lilinette shouted. "You know what I mean!"

"I'll be on my way," Cyan muttered, trying to move past the two. Stark grabbed her by the arm, pushing her back into her room.

"Stop abusing her!" Lilinette shouted. "You're giving us a bad name!"

"She likes it, I'm not abusing," Stark replied, trying to shut Cyan into her room so he can argue with Lilinette alone. "Right?" He looked at Cyan.

"I hope I'm not entitled to answer that," she replied, trying to keep the door open to squeeze out of it. "Stop shoving me!"

Lilinette balled her hand into a fist and punched him between the legs. Stark let go of Cyan and the door instantly, and bending over slightly in pain. Cyan stared at the two, both of them exchanging words—fighting words. Cyan slipped past them. She had things to take care of but Stark was trying to keep her locked inside. She thanked Lilinette, while she moved past them.

Cyan headed towards Szayel Aporro's lab. Apparently, he had prepared some essentials for her human world mission. She sonido'd her way there and knocked at the door to his room. She heard quick movement inside and then the door opened. Szayel Aporro eyed her carefully.

"You came alone?" he asked, looking around.

"I have."

"Come in." He moved away from the doorway, allowing her to step inside the room. As she did, she looked around. Not much had changed since the last time she looked.

"Don't touch anything."

Cyan frowned. She stepped towards him. "What are those essentials you spoke to me about?" she inquired.

"I've created your human gigai," he explained, victoriously. "It's meant to conceal all traces of you being an arrancar, as well as changing the color pigment of your hair and skin to match a more natural glow to avoid suspicion."

Cyan stared at him wordlessly. She blinked. She knew she would be in disguise, but a human gigai that hid the face that she was an arrancar was beyond her expectations.

"What color will it be?" As stupid as the question may have been, or how vain it made her seem, she wanted to know why she couldn't lie about her hair being dyed.

"Blond," he replied, unfazed by her stupid question.

"Blond," she repeated.

"I've heard blond is more likely to attract human boys," he replied. "I personally thought it might be fun."

"As long as it aids me, I don't care for it."

"Also, before I ask you to leave," he began. "This gigai isn't as perfect as you'd expect."

"What are you saying?"

"The gigai has a defect."

"A defect?" she asked. "I thought your work was _perfect_."

"My work is perfect." He frowned. "As mentioned beforehand, you may not believe it's perfect. Besides, it's a small defect, I'm sure you wouldn't mind it."

"Hm."

"It's a serious defect though," he explained. "If for whatever reason it's exposed, so will your identity as an arrancar."

"What is it?"

"Your gigai requires you to wear a skirt or skirt-like outfit. If not, you'll have to face serious consequences," he stated. "But, the effect is only during daylight. After hours you're permitted to wear anything you wish."

"You're sick." Cyan's eyes narrowed in disgust. "You really can't be serious."

"I'm actually quite serious," he said. "Feel free to test it when you begin your mission, but I recommend you not to do it in front of shinigami or spiritually inclined humans."

Somehow, she found it hard to believe. It was forced to wearing a skirt or be in danger of exposure?

Szayel Aporro smirked.

* * *

Cyan walked towards her room again, passing by Stark's coincidentally. She stopped, wondering if he was inside, sleeping or maybe he was doing something else. Curiosity overwhelmed her and she walked to his room. She looked around the hall making sure no one would see her and she slipped inside. When she turned around in the direction of the room, she saw a half-naked, dripping wet man standing in the center of the room. She felt her mouth open slightly. She followed the droplets of water that fell from his hair and led a small path over the chiseled creases of his muscular torso. His dark hair was stuck to his was.

Stark noticed her presence and looked at her with an arched eyebrow, cocking his head to the side, surprised.

Cyan reacted quickly once she saw he was looking at her. She pulled her hands over her mouth, hiding her reaction. She blinked, seemingly innocent. "I—I didn't mean to intrude," she began, trying to avoid stuttering. "W-well, I did…but I w-wasn't aware o-of…your—" She shut her eyes instead.

"Why are you being shy?" he asked, sighing. "You've seen me naked before."

"But there's a difference," she protested, her face turning red.

"What's the difference?" he asked.

"I'm invading your privacy—"

"Whatever," he interrupted, reaching for his clothes. "What do you want?"

"Um," she began, trying to think straight. "I…wanted, well, what did I want?" She mentally slapped herself.

She heard the rustle of clothing, fabric brushing against skin. Stark hadn't said anything in response to her stupid comment. She tried to reason with her own head to figure the real reason as to why she went to see him. Surely, she hadn't gone to give him details of her mission. That was classified information. The only ones who knew anything about it were their shinigami leaders, Szayel Aporro, Ulquiorra, and possibly Yammy.

"You're so strange at times," he commented.

Cyan lowered her hands and opened her eyes. Stark was standing in front of her. She looked up at his face.

"Of you have nothing to say…I won't keep you," he stated. "Since Lilinette got the wrong idea, she'll continue abusing me if you're in here with me."

"Oh. I'm sorry," she said, lowering her gaze.

"It's fine," he decided.

"I should head back. I have a few other things to take care of before tomorrow." She took a step back.

Stark nodded. "When do you think you'll come back?"

"I'll come for meetings, but the amount of days I'll remain in the human world are unlimited."

"Hmm."

Cyan turned her back towards him, placing her hand on the doorknob. "Stark," she whispered, recalling what she had gone for. She turned to him and reached for her zanpakutō, pulling it from her sash. She handed it to him. "Keep this for me."

He arched an eyebrow, puzzled. "You'll need it," he said.

"I won't," she replied. "I'm playing human, I won't need a sword."

Stark took it from her and stared down at it. "What should I do with it?"

"Keep it safe for me." She turned away. "If you lose it, it could be the end of me."

* * *

Cyan stood behind Ulquiorra and Yammy at the entrance of Las Noches. She continued scratching her human skin; it was bothersome to say the least. She was already wearing her human clothes, along with the necessary skirt. She had given the defect a try, putting on a pair of pants, but when she put one leg in, her body was thrown out of the gigai and her reiatsu pulsated erratically. Learning her lesson, she replaced her pair of jeans for a frilly white skirt.

Ulquiorra glance over his shoulder at Cyan, who was busily scratching her arm through the fabric of her long sleeve. "Cyan," he called, calmly.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"Stop scratching your arm, you'll gain suspicious glances."

Cyan moved her nails from her skin and left her arms at her sides.

"When are we leaving?" Yammy asked.

"Soon."

Being inside a gigai stabilized the heat in her body. She was used to being cold, unless she did something to create the warmth. Now it was odd. Her skin was softer against her fingertips, but it itched. She didn't have a Hollow hole or her mask remnants anymore and her skin color was darkened slightly to give her a healthy glow. She didn't like the slight changes.

Her mission was clear. The most important part was to weaken the others, but she wasn't told how. Aizen told her that she would instantly know what to do when the situation presented itself. She was puzzled over the most part of her mission, but was willing to take it on without complaint.

She still felt uneasy. Maybe she wasn't the best choice to carry out that mission. Her stomach churned in apprehension, and she held her arm over it. Her fidgety personality would work for something as a human, though she would have to work on the cold persona and her speaking and listening skills.

She let out a long sigh. It had been ten hours since she had last seen Stark and it felt wrong. How attached had she become? She shut her eyes and rubbed her temples. She did act ever bit a human as she was criticized. Other arrancar glared at her, abhorred her, and talked badly of her because of her shady relationship with both Stark and Aizen. Since Nnoitra went back to being a Numero, he'd been causing plenty of chaos in between other arrancars of his level. Cyan expected to be challenged by him once more to get his title, but…it never came. Instead, all the time she ran into Sinlen, she found herself being scrutinized horribly and cursed by her. Coming from the redhead, it wasn't anything new. Sinlen had every right to hate her since she did try to kill her, but in turn, she should respect Stark for being the one to extend her life by stopping Cyan.

She shook her head and noticed the Garganta open. She scampered inside. Ulquiorra looked at her for a minute and Yammy complained.

One complaint wasn't enough for Yammy, since he continued doing it throughout their small venture. Cyan felt her eyes roll from his constant reproaching. Ulquiorra remained silent, calmly ignoring the larger man's grumbling.

Once the Garganta opened, Cyan stepped out. At that point, they must have been detected. Ulquiorra turned to her.

"Once we hit the ground, take your leave to the central," he ordered.

Cyan nodded.

"Don't fuck this up," Yammy remarked.

Cyan ignored him. Regardless of his rank, he was still a pushover, she noted, especially around Ulquiorra.

Both of them dropped down into the clearing, causing a large explosion. That was her cue to leave. She went down a different direction, descending into the midst of trees. It seemed like a park, but it was empty because of the commotion the other two arrancars had started on the other side.

Ulquiorra and Yammy went to collect data and create a diversion. Cyan's interest was piqued when she sensed a few powerful reiatsus, while some were clearly hiding. There was no telling if they were shinigami, but there was one obvious reiatsu in the air. It was uncontrolled and powerful, it belonged to a shinigami.

Cyan scampered further away from the park, watching people collapse on the ground from Yammy's Gonzui. The ruffian ate the souls of others to build up his own strength. What a leech, she though sourly, having come to dislike the man long ago.

She watched others falling to the ground, hoping the effects wouldn't aim at her. If it did, she could imagine what would happen. She shuddered, crossing the empty street.

She heard a light sound clanking against another and saw a wind chime hanging from a nearby window. The streets were getting busy as she crossed them. She scarcely recalled the way streets worked. Back when she was alive, cars were the least of her worries. Now, she had to make sure she wasn't hit by one.

She heard a loud honk and felt something collide against her side hard, crushing the air out of her and sending her flying upward. She felt blood fall from her mouth when her body hit the ground hard. Her legs were oddly placed, her arm looked broken, and her head was bleeding. The pain was equivalent to a scratch, but the visual damage was great.

People gathered around worriedly and a man got out of his car to go to her. Her body felt heavy, but she still managed to pull herself up to a seat, her arm flopping down, broken.

"I'm so sorry! I'll call an ambulance!" The man stated, nervously, pulling out his cellphone.

"What's an ambulance?" Cyan asked, causing more alarm. She carefully wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand.

A woman rushed to her. "You shouldn't move, you'll hurt yourself," she said. "Lay back down, dear."

"But, it's dirty," Cyan replied. "I need to go."

"The ambulance will get here shortly," the man confirmed. "I'm so sorry."

"You're an idiot!" The woman turned away from the fidgeting man. "Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Well, my head, but it's just a scratch." Her head sustained most of her injury and was much more than a scratch, but she didn't think the same way as them.

She was eyed by people, perplexed. Cyan mentally cursed Szayel Aporro for making her a gigai prone to sustain such heavy injury and herself for damning her luck.

When she touched the cuts on her head, she felt a surge of pain shoot through her body, causing her to flinch. Her listening skills went downhill as the two humans continued with their arguments and their worry for her. She still wondered what an ambulance was.

In the next few minutes, she got her answer in the form of a siren and a red and white truck. She was pulled onto a stretched and told not to move or she'd worsen her condition. Men in white checked her wounds and asked for familiars.

"I don't have any," she replied. "I just moved."

"Name?"

"Kitamura Sayomi."

_Be my anchor, so I may continue to have a purpose._


	23. A New Language

Chapter Twenty-Two: A New Language

_A part of my simplistic notions caused my perceptions to blind._

_During hours of deep slumber, I continue debating my own sanity. Dreaming inconsistently of a woman who continues to stir my passions, but when awaken she is non-existent. Had I allowed the illusion to dominate me as it has the rest? Was her conception the only way to aid Aizen in helping with my own control?_

_Idly, wondering in my own apathetic reveries, continuously questioning my own wretched life. Loneliness, even with Lilinette, was overbearing. An ideal that my own mind would be unable to escape, trapped within myself as I continue searching for that figment of reality that might go on living. A maze stands before me, doors without handles, asking me to persist. I have left my own hope, searching for the light she uses to make fire. _

_A smile on her lips. Something that goes on making her a fantasy. Her actions. Her words. Everything about her is like an illusion. An imposing delusion that haunts me every minute I spend asleep._

_I lie in bed, wondering how to calm my emotions, feelings that I find hard to understand. _

Stark had lain in bed, not knowing what to think. A haunting memory came to mind. He recalled a woman and called her Cyan. His mind blanks immediately. He watches Lilinette storm into his room, a cheerful disposition as always, more when she sees him awake. She waltzed over to him, smiling widely. She opened her mouth, preparing to speak when he beat her to it.

"Where is Cyan?" Though he allowed his inner desires slip past him, it was unexpected to gain a response from Lilinette. His world seemed to revolve around Cyan. _Different perceptions are slowly causing me to replenish her existence because I feel her slowly growing further away from me._

"Cyan?" she inquired.

Stark shook his head, turning away. Thinking was deceiving. Leaving his room would bring him into reality. His comfort stayed within the fantasy world that was Cyan, allowing him to continue believing in her existence. "Never mind, Lilinette," he said, looking towards the window. Somehow, he had predicted it all. As if, he had known for a prolonged time. Cyan de Imortell was only a figment of reality…forever.

He looked down at his hands, recalling his caresses upon her skin. It _felt_ real. How was he to know?

_My eyes had been forever shielded by the darkness she held over my face. Asking me kindly to keep her presence a secret, "Between us," she would say, smiling ear to ear. How much have I given for her? Adding on to her lies and actions, I began molding her accordingly._

"I created a mystery for her to follow," Stark muttered unconsciously.

Lilinette peered over his shoulder concerned. "What are you talking about?" she asked, shoving him slightly.

"Nothing," he remarked, closing his eyes.

_Learning to live without…the illusion seems to prove quite difficult._ Stark opened his eyes again, looking over his shoulder at Lilinette. She seemed slightly confused by his actions, but not intended to question him because Cyan plagued his thoughts. She remembered her reason for intruding once more; it was because he had received a message. She would relay it. Hopefully, the knots in her stomach would vanish.

_Sometimes…I wish she didn't exist._


	24. Façade

Chapter Twenty-Three: Façade

The amount of humans who swarmed her as the _ambulance_ team decided to take her to the _hospital_ was a bit frightening. Cyan had never been around so many humans in years, decades, centuries even. She grew accustomed of the Hollows surrounding her, the Arrancar, those who abhorred her, as well as the few that didn't know what to think of her. Everything was different, unlike what she had familiarized with, but she could enjoy her time there.

Cyan's journey through vehicle to the Hospital instilled some alarm onto her when the ride went quickly. Since the wounds were severe, Cyan was taken in fast, pink-clad nurses staring at her baffled. Apparently, they expected her to scream bloody murder because of the severity, but she couldn't feel the pain – as much as a human would.

Around half an hour passed before she was finished with her treatment. She sat on a single bed; a pink nurse was wrapping gauze around her left arm, the one that had a jagged glass shard deep into her muscle tissue. She sat still, trying to work on keeping her patient levels up, even though the fact that it had been almost an hour was a bit of a stretch.

The man who was to blame for her accident promised to take care of her hospital bills as an apology. He was a nervous wreck, but for a human he was surprisingly handsome. She believed human women would be attracted to a man with sharp features, broad shoulders, and a muscular physique.

"There you go," the nurse confirmed, smiling warmly.

Cyan blinked, removing her eyes from the fretting man across the room. She turned towards the woman and nodded. "Thank you," she muttered, jumping off the bed. "Am I allowed to leave?"

"Yes, feel free, Kitamura-san."

Cyan nodded, heading towards the door to leave, but before she walked out, she was assaulted. Cyan stared at the hand that had caught her arm. She looked up to see the fretting man.

She pulled her arm away, staring at him intently, avoiding a glare. It took her a while to think of something that would conserve Sayomi's curious personality, but he beat her to the punch. "Again, I'm _very, very_ sorry about earlier," he began, shaking his head disappointedly.

Cyan nodded, having heard words of apology throughout the treatment of her wounds.

"It's strange how severe your head wound was, but you seemed unaffected by the pain of it," he commented.

"I've always had a hard head since my youth," she replied, trying to force a smile, but coming out with a small frown. "I'm not fragile."

"It seems, you look quite sturdy," he said, smiling.

"Too bad my shirt was torn slightly." She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have any more clothes, but the ones on her back. The idea that she would have to buy all her necessities after she settled in a home – which she had to search for – was bothersome.

In truth, nothing had been prepared. She would be forced to take responsibility over everything. Now, she regretted taking everything given to her in Las Noches for granted. She was given a place to rest and given clothes.

"I'll pay for that as well!"

"It's fine," she said. "I'll just buy a new one."

The man was about to say something when a sudden ringing disturbed her thoughts and she turned around, feeling a bit impatient knowing that a meeting had been called. The probability of being sent that kind of ring meant there were too many humans present to be able to send someone to fetch her personally.

"Oi, Sayomi." A familiarly annoying voice rang in her ears calling her fake name. Her darted towards the hallway to see a young-looking girl wearing extremely baggy clothing, her black hair was up in pigtails and a mischievous smirk adorned her face. "We've got business so, _hurry up_."

Cyan glanced over at the man, but stepped out of the door, following Loly through the hall. Loly complained aloud about finding it useless to retrieve her when an important congregation among all Arrancar had been issued. Apparently, Menoly wasn't permitted to go with Loly, which may have caused more irritation in the girl – Cyan ignored her protests and insults. They walked together for a small amount of time, leaving the hospital and heading down the street to a lesser populated street where they could open a Garganta to travel to Las Noches.

Cyan took longer strides as she walked, leaving Loly to follow behind her instead, purposely irritating her. They crossed another street before walking into a seemingly empty alley before Cyan opened a Garganta, large enough for them to enter without it lagging for others to see – those spiritually inclined, of course.

The journey was quick, though even after they arrived into Las Noches; Loly continued calling her a _bitch_ and _slut_, along with curt mentions of Stark. The sound of his name brought her enthusiasm up a notch, not having thought through the fact that she would meet him or at least see him. Instead of walking in front of a complaining Arrancar she sonido'd towards the throne room, taking a sharp halt when she realized she was about to slam straight into the bodacious blond-haired Espada, Halibel. Cyan looked up, surprised at her lack of control inside her human gigai.

Halibel glanced over at Cyan through the corner of her eyes with vibrant green eyes. "Be careful," Halibel said monotonously as she turned to enter the room where they would all meet.

Cyan nodded and walked in behind Halibel feeling strangely awkward, receiving cold stares from the woman's fracciòn. There weren't problems with her mission, which meant Ulquiorra and Yammy returned from theirs healthy and in one piece, but what reason had they to call her? She hadn't even found time to settle into her life in the Human World and Aizen called a congregation with _all_ the Arrancar.

Cyan looked around the large room upon entering; it was infested with Espada, Fracción, Privaron Espada, Números, and other Arrancar. She spotted more than a few familiar glares and instead of joining the area where the rest of the Espada were situated; she retracted towards the nearest corner when she felt someone bump into her shoulder hard. She turned back quickly seeing no one behind her before she heard faint giggling. She followed the noise and saw Stark walking towards the center of the room with Lilinette following him, a small hand clasped over her mouth. Her eyebrows knitted in frustration at his actions, he didn't say anything to her. With a deep frown etched into her features, she went back to the wall, leaning against the cold, hearing the annoying racket of Lumina and Verona chiming as they entered the large hall. She turned her head to see Szayel Aporro entering the room, catching Cyan trying to meld in with the wall and walked over to her with a deep frown – he noticed her damage.

"I see you've already damaged your gigai," he commented, leaning against the wall near her. "I hope you enjoyed the dramatic effect I added to it."

Cyan scoffed with disdain at his comment. "I was rushed to a place called a _hospital _where I was probed by numerous amounts of humans in white and pink," she muttered.

"What did you expect, stupid girl?" he insulted. "To them, you were a wounded human, how were they not going to probe you."

"I'm simply used to having a narcissistic psycho probing me, other than the kind generosity offered to me there," Cyan commented, turning her attention to Aizen, who was sitting in his throne overlooking all his creations. "It made an impact on me."

Szayel Aporro glared at her.

She merely smirked at his reaction.

The doors slammed open loudly, Ulquiorra and Yammy stepped into the large hall walking towards the center of the room where Aizen would be able to have a better look of them. Yammy's arm was missing.

The meeting was simple, a complete report on what Ulquiorra witnessed in the Human World, while he went out there to prove Aizen had already began building an army against Soul Society, Cyan was in charge of weakening them by means of a personal blow. Ulquiorra shared his vision, pulling out his left eye and crushing it, placing everyone in the room into a trance so they could see the battles fought against a shinigami and two humans with strange abilities, along with two others that came to protect the other three.

The effect wore off.

"Quite the show," Szayel Aporro commented.

Cyan turned to him. "It surprising they returned alive after those other two showed up, they were much stronger than the orange-haired shinigami," she said.

"But, they only meddled because of that shinigami," Szayel Aporro confirmed.

Cyan shrugged, her eyes darting back to the center of the room, unaware of the altercation between Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Her eyes wandered on, finding the man she was looking for. Stark was leaning against the wall while Lilinette was moving him back and forth trying to wake him up. Cyan sighed. A simple glance wouldn't calm her needs. Instead of waiting for the meeting to be called off, she slipped out of the room.

* * *

Upon her return to the Human World, she began her search for a home, a temporary residence on her own. On a mission where details had been apathetically omitted by her lord, she was forced to travel on her own without any means of assistant given a few words that were meant to easy the anxiety. _When the time comes, you will know what to do_. She grew indifferent towards those words, unable to trust them herself. Cyan eased her sporadic thoughts by walking through the streets, taking precaution after what occurred earlier that day, in search of an abode. Unfortunately, the better-looking apartments that were renting were full of rambunctious youths and play areas for the bustling children. She decided against each one of the first few locations, searching for a quieter setting.

Her gigai was weighing her down after she walked a few blocks of searching after her decisions in the previous five buildings. She hoped for a place to sit and sleep after tiring her gigai out when opening two Gargantas. She figured her separation from her sword and the fact her gigai wasn't meant to deal with so much physical exertion, another fair warning from Szayel Aporro.

Exhausted, Cyan found a way to the nearest bench, plopping down on the wooden seat, her hands full of the paper cuts she received while handling a series of housing booklets. Szayel Aporro mention they were helpful for people who needed to find their way around the city and search for a home, but none aided her on her journey. The city map, as useful as the sticker had dubbed it, was anything but, she found herself following the largest street looking for a small area until she hit a dead end. Slowly the abhorrence for her lone mission began growing inside her body. Not only after she walked out of the alleyway did a man in scraps for clothes tried to mug her, she also accidentally killed him.

All those hardships bothered her continuously, exhausting her body. Cyan sat there, staring listlessly at nothing in particular until she snapped out of her trance to fine a line of apartments on the other side of the street. She immediately jolted out of her seat, liking the quiet neighborhood. She walked across the street, looking both ways before doing so, and entered the territory. Her eyes looked around, the homes were peaceful-looking, and she needed a sense of tranquility.

She followed a flight of stairs to the top apartment, to the left, where the manager of the area was. Once she stepped in front of the door, she knocked slowly, hearing a distinct shuffling coming from inside the place. The door opened slowly and a short old woman answered, she looked up at Cyan with a glint in her coal black eyes. "Lookin' for a place to stay dear?" she inquired kindly.

Cyan nodded.

"Yer pretty lucky, we just cleared out one of the homes, a new owner is what we need," she commented, walking out of her home, shutting the door behind her back. "Come, I'll show you around the area and then the empty apartment."

The old woman began trotting down the steps slowly, allowing Cyan time to follow her. The tour was small, whisking by remarkably fast.

The adobe the woman spoke fondly of was the last area she was shown. At sight, Cyan liked it, the place wasn't small, but it was enough for a single person to live there. The kitchen and living room were the first thing she saw after following the old woman inside, the next was the small bedroom – empty, but seemingly spacious. The tiny bathroom sat in the same hall where her room was occupying only the necessary amount of room.

"D'ya like it, Kitamura-san?" the manager asked, smiling sweetly.

Cyan nodded. "Yes…I'll take it, but when can I move in?"

"After you make a down payment for the first rent and sign the necessary documents. We can take care of that back in my home, please follow me."

* * *

Cyan finalized the contract with the woman immediately after she paid for her stay, giving away a large amount of money to pay more than enough time to lounge there without a problem. When Cyan entered her home, a sense of calm did overwhelmed her but a strange sensation caused her to feel forlorn about having nothing interesting to do. She didn't bother with hobbies, except one – _pacing, _though it managed to place her in troublesome situations. Walking through the labyrinth-like fortress kept her mind blank, as she often preferred, her face expression no emotion and her voice monotonous. Pacing back and forth down the hallway leading to Aizen's room with a clearly indecisive mind was what allowed her to meet Stark, albeit his new attitude started to irritate her.

She shook her head indignantly, denying every sensible feeling that called to meeting with him again. Sure, she wanted to murder him for what happened before her mission began, but there was an impediment. She stamped the idea of never meeting him again, unless there were congregations like the recent one where the Espada gathered. The consequences would weigh on her and seeing Stark as she had when he was those marks on her body brought much disdain.

Cyan had been sitting on the floor for a while before she finally decided to move. She pulled herself onto her feel reluctantly and trudged towards the door, hoping no one would mind her patrolling the halls like a haunting ghost. She opened her door too fast, hearing someone yelp behind it, curiously, as she stepped out, she peeked.

Her eyes widened surprised when she saw the orange-haired woman who had been seen during the congregation, she was wearing bundles of gauze from the wounds she sustained. Her blue-gray eyes met with Cyan's surprised face.

"I'm sorry." Cyan uttered, remembering to speak and apologize for her actions, seeing as she almost hit the teen with her door. "I didn't hear anyone…" She trailed off before she sounded stupider.

"It's okay, I was daydreaming again," she said, smiling joyfully. She flinched as she tried to move her hand to the back of her head. "So you're the new neighbor the manager mention, right?"

Cyan nodded, though that questioned seemed dumb. It was a good way to start a conversation with a stranger. But should the girl so innocently strike one up when she doesn't know whom she's meddling with? "Kitamura Sayomi, please take care of me." Cyan remembered the manners instilled in her by a cruel method and she bowed her head, feeling lowly.

"Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you," the teen chided, exuberant. "Where are you originally from?"

"I'm from Kyoto," she replied slowly, unable to recall her geography lessons.

"Wow, that's a really nice city, but do you like it here? It's a bit rural, but it's always peaceful," she said, rambling unintentionally before giggling.

Cyan eyed Orihime carefully taking note of all her wounds. "How did you hurt yourself?" she asked inadvertently.

Orihime stared at Cyan, blinked, and looked down at her bandaged limbs. "Oh, this?" she queried. "I fell down a flight of stairs. I'm really clumsy you see."

Cyan laughed to go along with her role. "Same here," she replied, pointing at the bandaging on her body.

Orihime laughed as well, finding the fact that they were both bandaged amusing, but the way she managed to get her wounds was still frightening. Facing such strong people – she would have never thought it would occur.

Cyan stepped out of her new home completely, shutting the door.

"Are you going somewhere?" Orihime asked, curious.

"I'm incredibly bored, so I thought I'd take a walk – I don't have anything to distract me," Cyan admitted. The walk would clear her mind of unnecessary thoughts.

"Didn't you bring anything with you? Or, do your things come later?" Orihime found it unexplainably odd that she was still striking up a conversation with Sayomi, even though they had only met, but there was a sense of curiosity that compelled her as if she could sense something strange from her. The presence was vaguely familiar – it was a new sensation.

"No, I don't have anything. Maybe I'll go buy something," Cyan decided. "Any suggestions?" She turned to look at Orihime with a lost look on her face.

"Maybe a tea kettle?" she suggested blankly.

Cyan hated tea, but that seemed like a reasonable buy since the girl suggested it. She nodded about to speak when she noticed Orihime looking over at her shoulder a glint of confusion in her eyes and a deep voice shattered the silence. "So, this is your new place?"

Cyan whipped around, facing the man who had spoken with a dangerous glare. Stark looked at her, arching an eyebrow, bemused. Cyan looked him over carefully, he was in a gigai otherwise something horrible might have happened. She still believed something horrible would occur since he was present when he should have been in Las Noches, enjoying his tranquility as he mentioned.

Cyan arched an eyebrow as she took in the sight of him in a suit. "Why are you wearing a suit?" she inquired, before turning back to Orihime. "I'm sorry, please excuse me. I have to—"

"Cy—"

Cyan turned to glare, silencing him, before she looked back at the teen. "Sorry, again and thank you for your suggestion," she said, smiling as she grabbed a hold of Stark.

"If you need anything I live two doors down," she said. "It was nice meeting you." Orihime smiled gently before walking away.

"Look, you're making friends."

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, pulling open the door of her house. She pushed him inside harshly, walking inside and slamming the door. "And, why are you wearing such a stiff suit?"

"It matches the tie," he said, grabbing the magenta-colored tie sitting in front of him. "See?" He gestured to the black of his blazer and the tie.

"Szayel gave you a defective gigai?" she asked incredulously.

"He prepared one for everyone," Stark said, moving away from the doorway as he looked around the spacious house. His hand ran along the countertops of her kitchen and when he stepped into the living room, he fixed his eyes out the window, which lacked a pair of curtains. "Though, Aizen only asked for yours – he sent a message saying it'd be fun."

"A message?" she inquired.

"Told me if I wanted to come see you," he responded, resuming his walk around the adobe, taking a turn towards the small hallway.

Cyan stared at the back of his head awkwardly, trying to avoid the sensation she felt at the sound of those words. "And?" she asked.

Stark turned back, a smirk on his face. "I'm here aren't I?" he replied.

"That's beside the point, there's no way you'd just be motivated to travel to the Human World to see me," she stated, trying to reason with him. Though, the fact that he was looking through her entire house was beginning to bother her.

Stark opened the door to the bathroom and closed it after looking inside of it. "You're right," he admitted, turning around to face her. "But, then I had a nightmare."

"You had a nightmare?" she queried, not sure she was following the conversation particularly well.

He crossed the distance between them, placing his hands on her small shoulders when he was close to her. She stared at him, perplexed. "It was a bit awkward," he commented. "In the dream you didn't exist and for some reason I wasn't sleeping right."

She narrowed her eyes, insulted. "Your nightmare was that I wasn't real and that you couldn't sleep?"

"The fact that you weren't there didn't bother me as much as my lack of sleep," he said, a serious look on his face.

Cyan looked down, away from his face.

"What bothered me was that this morning I woke up questioning us," he commented, leaning down towards her planting a kiss on her head. "Pink suits you better than blond."

Cyan moved away from him, thinking his words through. He was questioning 'them'. What were they? She inquired mentally, though they were _lovers_. She turned on her heel and heading down the hall back towards the living room. "What's the defect on your gigai?" she asked, changing the subject.

"The magenta tie," he replied disdainfully.

Cyan stops walking, hearing him approaching. "Wearing a tie isn't that bad? That's all that's being forced on you, I have to move around in this ridiculous mini-skirt," she protested, looking at him.

Stark stopped in front of her, in the center of the room. "You can just wear something longer."

"If that was even a given, I would be wearing one," she said. "Lucky for you all you have to wear is that stupid tie." She pouted. "I don't understand why you're even wearing that suit."

"It is a stupid tie," he agreed. "But, I'd look ridiculous wearing this tie with clothes of my preference; I have to wear the matching suit." He shrugged. "There's not much difference in my usual attire, except maybe the stiffness."

Cyan didn't speak anymore, finding a seat against the wall, waiting for him to say something of interest. A few minutes ticked by before she felt something plush hit her head and plop down beside her. She turned her gaze towards the item thrown at her and saw a green pillow sitting on the ground. Stark sat down besides her, taking it in his hands and placing it on her lap. "It's a gift."

"It's a pillow."

"Well, you don't have anything, so I brought you something from home," he remarked slowly.

"What about a blanket?"

"I couldn't fit one in my jacket."

"A tea kettle?" she inquired.

"You hate tea."

"But, Orihime suggested one."

"Sleep in the closet, it might be warm." Stark let out a yawn as he rested his head on her shoulder, he watched her fingers dig into the pillow. "You have a closet, right?"

"I'm sure," she replied.

Stark closed his eyes, getting to comfortable in her presence. Cyan remained quiet, unable to think of anything else to say. After she settled, she would no longer need any offhanded gifts from Stark.

The silence overwhelmed the two until a possessive reiatsu filled the entire area. Cyan recognized it the owner of the reiatsu, recognizing it to be Grimmjow's, as he crossed into the Human World. She moved away from her seat, hearing a hard thud against the ground when Stark fell. She looked back at his face, eyes closed as he breathed easy in his slumber. She wondered how it was possible for anyone to fall asleep so quickly, but she grew irritated because of that particular trait. She placed her hand on his shoulder, moving him back and forth trying to wake him.

If a mission had been given to Grimmjow, he might be aware of it.

But, Stark didn't wake up, only began to snore.

Instead, Cyan got off the ground and headed towards the door, swinging it open just in time to see two shinigami shunpo away before her eyes. She followed the direction where they once stood in time to see Inoue Orihime staring back at her surprised.


	25. Shallow Signs

Chapter Twenty-Four: Shallow Signs

Surely, being able to watch two shinigami leap into action would affect her undercover status unless Grimmjow was standing in front of her spilling all the details. Orihime didn't speak; she only smiled in her general direction. That simple action calmed Cyan down a notch, knowing nothing had been leaked. She turned away, shutting her door ignoring the fact that Stark was still inside. Her idle thoughts remained in place, wishing he would turn back. She made her way down the hall, hearing Orihime turn back, heading inside her apartment.

Cyan closed her eyes, following the cloud of reiatsu in the area. It was mostly Grimmjow and his fracción, the result of his earlier argument with Ulquiorra – she may have been ignoring it, but she caught a few words in between. She would take a simple walk, act normal – in every possible sense – and pretend there wasn't a strange man sleeping in her newly acquired adobe. Though, he wasn't strange and he might be faking slumber to displease her – thus avoid irritation him. Her heart palpitated, knowing her gigai would not show the mark left on her original body but her mind slowly crossed the line as she began thinking of their solitary encounter. Her defections created her into a soldier that was never meant to have a purpose. She dropped her gaze as the hazy barriers began to clear over her head. Up until her meeting with Stark, she spent ongoing days agonizing and begging for an end to her pitiful existence. She never cried, but she sincerely waited for the right time to stop the days from weighing down on her.

She was a lingering shadow, never to be used by anyone but her master and leader, Aizen. She wasn't allowed to feel any imposing emotions, much like the ones that seem to irritate others. Since her silent covered her ire, when her first encounter with Stark left her with an impression…_allowing her to believe that change was possible in her monotonous life_…she persisted.

Though, remaining a shadow remained her only objective, until Nnoitra's rank was passed onto her. Aizen had assured her that she wouldn't be allowed to become an Espada because her existence – no matter how strong she may have been – did not lie in the same path as his strongest soldiers. After all, she never felt in tune with his Espada before meeting Stark, even though he fooled her causing her to believe that a physical relationship would begin, but he moved away. He disregarded her existence, which bothered her. Instead she spoke to him about something different, to maintain his attention on her. It was a selfish action, but she only wanted someone to notice her.

Cyan shut her eyes tightly, feeling the cold breeze against her face and legs. She continued walking, realizing too late that there was a strong reiatsu shooting past her. She managed to catch the owner before he vanished before her eyes. The orange-haired shinigami fought Yammy had sped past her. Her mind went blank for a short while and her eyes remained on the paved sidewalk until she managed to slam hard against a person larger than her.

She quickly looked up, surprised before wiping the shock from her face at the sight of Grimmjow glaring at her. He sneered, turning his head away. "Should have known you'd be walking around when I came by," he stated.

"You acting against Aizen-sama's wishes, you should be ashamed of yourself." Cyan walked past him when his hand shot forward grabbing her by the arm. He turned her around to face him, feeling the weakness in her gigai.

"You think I fucking care what he thinks! I'm doing everyone a favor by wiping the floor clean of all the trash!" he rebuked.

"Everyone will die when their time arrives, you're meddling," she replied, unfazed by his actions. He was rash, ignoring all orders only following his own. "Aizen-sama must have other plans for them since he didn't—"

"Shut up! It's always _Aizen-sama _with you, what are you fucking him?" he spat, interrupting her. "Are you in love with him or something, your disgusting Cyan, you're twisted!"

Cyan closed her mouth glaring at him. "I'm simply following orders," she stated, through clenched teeth. "You should try doing that yourself."

Grimmjow grinned. "You weren't following Aizen's rules when you decided to kill the crimson-eyed twins," he stated, watching her expression change. Her eyes narrowed in a deathly glower as she stared at him, having half a mind to stripping off the gigai and attacking him when she remembered a simple fact.

"Technically, you killed them," she reminded him.

"On your behalf," he growled, pulling her forward. They were at eyelevel at that point and the glares were producing bad vibes around the two.

"I told you to stay away from my prey!" she rebuked.

"You're so prissy, always saying you wouldn't want to fucking stain your hands red and asked me to do you the favor in return for—"

"I get it, now let go," she interrupted. "If we're seen, I'll personally kill you for blowing my—"

He laughed haughtily. "You kill me?" he barked. "Only because you got lucky with Nnoitra, doesn't mean you'll be able to even touch me! You may be a rank above me, but how long before I strip it from you."

Cyan rolled her eyes, ripping her arm from his grip surprised it didn't come right off with the force he held it. She rubbed it slightly, knowing the pain could have been worse than a bruising arm. "Fancy words aren't going to corner me, Grimmjow," she said, looking up at him. "If you want the rank, take it. I never wanted it in the first place."

Something about her aloof comment irritated him. He grabbed her by the collar. "You think I'll go easy on you because we had a deal! You're fucking stupid!" he stated, expecting her to fear him. She was a feeble woman after all. Everyone had confirmed that, even if Sinlen had been spreading rumors of Cyan killing Arrancar – but who believed that crazy bitch? "If you want to try me then come at me?"

"You're too impatient, you want my rank, I'll strip it and hand it over," she replied, tugging at his arm. "I refuse to fight anyone."

Grimmjow scoffed, pushing her back roughly. Cyan stumbled slightly and regained her composure before one of the reiatsu was cut off. She glanced towards that direction, Grimmjow doing the same, and saw a large ice attack in the distance. "One of your subordinates died," she said tiredly.

Grimmjow didn't answer, only sonido'd out of the area. At last, he left her on her own, though, she admitted to him being impulsive – she wouldn't stop him. Soon news of his disappearance would spread through Las Noches, forcing someone to retrieve him in one-piece. Her thoughts then wondered onto the Primera Espada sleeping in her home.

_Someday, I'll hate him…_she thought over those words, wondering silently if she meant them before she continued walking. _Someday, I will have to die…_

_Someday, my meaningless existence will begin making sense…_

_One day, I'll wonder why my heart palpitates wildly in his presence_. There were many ideas she would fondly explore, but it wasn't her place to indulge in them.

She stopped walking – _in the dream, you didn't exist and for some reason I wasn't sleeping right._ Stark's words suddenly reached her as if she had discovered a meaning within them that she disregarded before. It was simple to ignore him sometimes, he enjoyed silence – or maybe, he only enjoyed toying with her. She was taking things too seriously, of course. As always, she forgot his statement where he claimed her existence didn't bother him. _Then why does he feel me as if it's the last?_ She queried, searching her simplistic brain for a response. "I'm being stupid."

"You admit it, then?"

Cyan jolted from the sudden scare and turned her head to see Stark, arching an eyebrow as he rubbed the back of his head. She stared at him, not wishing to speak while unanswered questioned echoed through her head.

"You never struck me as the type that would talk to alone, but it's not surprising, you're a tad bit crazy," he said, smirking smugly.

Cyan turned away.

Stark grabbed a hold of her chin, moving her back to face him. He looked down at her with a grim expression and opened his mouth to speak, but her heart began to beat faster upon contact. She tried to look away to avoid unnecessary situations, but her eyes flickered towards his and she couldn't help herself. She took a step forward, lifting her body upwards in one swift movement, before capturing his lips in hers. She closed her eyes after hearing him muffle something, but he quickly responded to her kiss. Whatever he would say, she wouldn't want to hear it.

She may have allowed things to elevate, but there were battles going on that she needed to act normal about.

The kiss was feverish the longer it continued. He wound his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. He forgot what he was supposed to say. He never cared for his words. She kept him thinking constantly…about only her. She was becoming more.

He could place his finger on it.

Complete.

She allowed him that sense of completion with subtle actions.

She pulled away from him. "You should leave." She looked at him seriously.

He looked at her incredulously.

"If you stay, they'll blame you."

He sighed, knowing where she was coming from. It would bother her and automatically begin to pester him because of that simple fact. He nodded. "I'll come back some other time."

"What?"

He arched an eyebrow. "I'll come back."

"No, you should stay in Las Noches and just wait for your own duty." She couldn't stop her heart from palpitating in gratification. His words were like music in her ears, enlightening her frustrating character. Everything about her was strange and she hated it, wondering why nothing made sense.

He unwound his arms from her waist and placed his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to look him in the eyes. She felt unveiled underneath his piercing gaze – at ease. "What are you talking about? I haven't had to do anything in a while."

"The mission Aizen gave you," she said slowly. "The day he gave me this mission, he—"

"Did he tell you about it?" he asked, serious.

"Yes."

"Did he give you details? Anything in particular?" he pressed.

"No, he simply told me about it, omitting any details. He said it didn't concern me," she answered, averting her gaze. "I'm sure it doesn't, but I want to—"

"You don't need to know anything about it because I'll never have to do it," he stated, leaning forward to plant a chaste kiss over her lips. He moved away before she had any time to deepen it.

Cyan nodded, trying to understand but knowing it'd be impossible to continue questioning him. She looked away from him, removing his hands from her face. She walked past him, not expecting him to turn back, not willing tell him he should keep his distance. Although, she never wished trouble to befall him, she couldn't think of having to be so far from him.

Her emotions, she disliked them.

_What is this feeling?_ She wondered, holding a hand over her chest. She kept her eyes on the ground.

Sleep never came for Cyan. She sat against the wall the entire night, monitoring what was occurring within the city. Grimmjow lost all the members of his fracción, but knowing him, he didn't care. He managed to stay alive. Compared to those who showed up to fight against him, Grimmjow was the strongest. The orange-haired shinigami that had swept past her was reasonably strong, but not yet at the level of the other. There was also another strong reiatsu among the fighters, but Grimmjow didn't challenge him. The fights ended when Tōsen showed up, retrieving Grimmjow. After that, the shinigami hiding inside Orihime's home returned to the complex, mumbling incoherently through sharp whispers.

Cyan was restless. She didn't bother laying her head down to rest, figuring she wouldn't be able to. She sat in the same place for the rest of the night.

The light of day flooded into her room, embracing it with warmth. Her body was warm. She wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes momentarily. She enjoyed the warmth because it reminded her of something else.

She heard rasping against her front door and got off the living room floor. Her eyes were fixed on the white door as she moved towards it. She grasped the handle and opened it abruptly, swinging it open carelessly.

There was no one outside.

She looked down, noticing a white calico waltz by. She sighed as she stepped out of her home. She shut the door behind her and sensed familiarity in the air. Her eyes darted to the side, where she saw a white-haired boy wearing shinigami robes, eyeing her suspiciously. She turned away, having met his gaze when he suddenly appeared beside her.

"There's something odd about you," he stated bluntly.

She didn't look at him. The sound of metal came to her ears and she felt a sudden sharpness against her face. Her eyes narrowed for a second before she turned to him, a look of shock on her face. He glared at her intensely. She didn't speak or comment on his suggestion.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you."

She smiled, forcing it on her face. "That's unkind," she said, trying to sound as jolly as possible. "You shouldn't point a sword at someone you haven't even met, shinigami-kun."

He sheathed his blade and turned away, not willing to take his words back.

"I'm Kitamura Sayomi," she said carefully.

His eyebrow twitched. "Kitamura Sayomi?" he turned to her, eyeing her with more suspicion.

Cyan nodded in agreement, knowing he must know something about the real Sayomi, the woman Aizen said she looked much like.

"Hitsugaya Tōshirō." He began walking away.

Cyan arched an eyebrow, unable to process his reaction. _Who is Sayomi?_


	26. Prospect

Chapter Twenty-Five: Prospect

Lilinette made it a part of her day to roam around the corridors of Las Noches before waking up Stark every chance she had. Usually, her time was spent exploring, going to places others may have never stumbled into incidentally. Though, at times she came across many other Arrancar, the one who occasionally crossed her path was Cyan de Imortell. She was a woman, the newest Arrancar who acted and seemed like she never existed at all. Mainly it was her ability to consume her reiatsu and saunter through the endless white hallways without even a squeak of noise. Her presence was usually one to disregard, seeing as her rebirth marked a different tale – one she predicted had no resolve.

To her in particular, Cyan was the woman Stark began to fancy, nothing more. That and the occasional rumor spread throughout the fortress of her being a recognizable toy of their Shinigami leader, Aizen. Neither was denied.

Cyan, who walked at a slow pace, never regarded anyone wherever she went, unless someone called out to her. Lilinette, at the time, was primarily concerned with the recalcitrant liaison between that pink-haired damsel-in-distress and her other half. Something about the pink-haired arrancar was sketchy, maybe there was a piece missing – something every other arrancar had, but she didn't. At times, she gave off that faint shinigami stench their leaders had. The rumors about her toying with Aizen were becoming known if she shared that similar aroma.

Lilinette crossed the remainder of the hall that sat between herself and Stark's room, stopping in front of it and hoping to punch him for no reason. She had a subtle reason. She needed to keep him in shape, while he was dawdling over some pretty little thing; someone had to be around to knock some sense into him. In short, she had absolutely no problem with it. She sighed, grabbing a hold of the doorknob about to enter when she heard a vehement door close loudly. Averting her gaze, her light-colored eyes met a corridor of darkness where further down sat the throne room. Eerily curious, Lilinette let go of the handle and began to walk into the dark, thinking of a grand excuse if caught.

The throne room should have been empty; though she expected it to be occupied by Aizen because of the mission he gave Szayel Aporro and Cyan. Voices were hushed along the area, seeping through the seemingly paper thin walls. She recognized one it was Szayel Aporro. Lilinette quickened her pace, entering the narrow hall before entering the throne room. She heard their voices clearly. The ambience itself was stuffy with a sense of danger.

"Forgive me, I've searched for Cyan de Imortell everywhere, but as you had said, you wanted a report." Szayel Aporro paused, speaking firmly. "When we first entered the human world, we ran into two lieutenants, both were defeated in battle, not killed. I managed to stop Cyan from releasing—"

Lilinette hid her reiatsu and recognized the looming presence of Ichimaru Gin within the room. "She sure is an impatient one," Gin commented, chuckling. "Having her release would be a dilemma, especially in the human world."

"Szayel Aporro, continue with your report," Aizen ordered.

"Surprisingly the entire area you had us cover was full of weak Shinigami. We both easily disposed of them, there were no actual problems…until I lost track of Cyan and—"

Lilinette arched an eyebrow at the revelation. The fact that she couldn't sense Cyan wasn't because she was hiding, but the fact that she was currently missing.

"How was her reaction to the human world when you entered?"

"Cyan showed great interest in the human world, but after a few hours, she began to show obvious hate for it."

Aizen chuckled. "Well, what are you waiting for? Look for her," he ordered.

Lilinette heard the shuffle of Szayel Aporro's feet and quickly made a dash out the hall. She stood outside nonchalantly, knowing her presence would be quickly disregarded. Szayel Aporro brushed past her without giving her the time of day and sonido'd back to his room. Lilinette went back into the room, wondering if Cyan would remain the center of their discussion.

"Ya don't seem ta mind her disappearance," Gin commented, aloud.

"Not that I don't mind it, it might be for our gain," Aizen replied.

"What'd we gain if she were to be found by Soul Society?"

Their voices were growing distance, but regardless, she heard them clearly.

"It'd instill fear in them; she looks very much like _her_, doesn't she?"

Lilinette's interest was piqued and she slowly made her way towards the door.

"Can't deny," Gin replied, chuckling. "Too much alike, but the personality is way off."

"A quieter disposition and deep perception," Aizen commented.

"So, what kinda plans do ya have for Sayomi-chan's lookalike?"

"I'd like to use her as bait to bring apart Soul Society."

"An' the King's Key?" he inquired.

The silence was deafening, but for some reason at the point in time, Lilinette couldn't help but pity Cyan. The small girl gulped nervously and leaned forward against the door, biting her lip.

"I've got another person in mind for that," Aizen replied lightly. "Cyan is a means to control. She's not important."

Lilinette took a step back, but oddly enough, she felt happy that Cyan was gone. She didn't hate her. The idea that she had the ability to distract her other half merely bothered her. Stark was after all stronger and less interested, but with Cyan, things were different – everything changed with her around, the entire ambience mellowed out.

Lilinette turned away, knowing she had had enough eavesdropping and should find a way to report the news of Cyan's disappearance to Stark. Although he would instantly do something about it, she needed to make sure of something.

She darted towards his room, quickly. Entering the long hallway leading to it, she heard the sound of a door open and immediately close. She found it odd and continued running down the hall until she finally arrived in front of his room. She grabbed a hold of the knob and turned it, pushing. It didn't budge. She glared at the door.

"Stark!" she shouted knowingly.

She heard the light shuffling inside and proceeded to slamming the door open. She stormed inside, watching him make his way back to his bed. "What are you doing blocking the door?" she demanded.

He yawned. "I'm still tired," he replied, plopping on his bed, face first. "If it's that important come back in another hour."

She growled angrily, lunging herself at him, jumping over him and landing on his back harshly. "No!" she shouted in protest.

"Ugh—what?" he complained, jerking up and dropping the small girl on the ground.

Lilinette landed on the ground hard and stood up in protest. "Hey!" she shouted. "I'm not done talking."

Stark sat up, rubbing his back. "What is it?" he asked seriously. "I would have known if there was a meeting without you barging in here."

"It's not a meeting."

"What is it then?"

"Szayel Aporro came back," she began, smirking. "Here's the funny part, Cyan's gone missing."

Stark stood up involuntarily with a serious expression on his face. Lilinette looked up at him awkwardly, able to read his whirl of confusion. "Don't tell me…" She cut herself short.

He glanced down at her. "Hm?"

"You developed some attachment to her!" she accused knowingly. "I warned you about this Stark, but you never listen. If you get involved with her you'll ruin—"

"Lilinette, it doesn't matter if it's attachment or not," he recited. "I'm going out." He walked past her, heading towards the door.

"I'm going with you!" she stated, rushing after him. He sighed as he walked out the door, turning around to push her back inside. "What's the problem? You need me!"

"Need you to criticize my actions, I do not," he stated, trying to shut the door, but her hands shot up stopping him.

"I don't care what you think!" she protested angrily. "She's weird and I don't like her."

"Lilinette…" he said slowly.

"I don't! She's like a lifeless doll, creepy!"

"I don't care, I'm still going."

Those words didn't settle with Lilinette and she pulled the door widely with all her strength. She balled her small hands into fists and kicked him square between the legs. He groaned in pain as he fell to his knees. "Lilinette, what's wrong with you?"

"Go back to sleep then!" she said, grabbing a hold of his collar and trying to drag him back. At that point, she was trying anything she could to make sure he didn't leave.

Stark pushed her hands away from him. "Cyan is dangerous," he said, breathing heavily.

"She's Aizen's problem, not yours."

Lilinette frowned, unable to say anything. He stared at her seriously. "If you're coming, then come, but don't complain," he began. "I want to see her."

* * *

Cyan walked down the crowded aisles of the supermarket, looking downcast and clenching tightly to the purse hanging from her shoulder. Her eyes darted from left to right, watching the civilians eerily who were all staring at man walking besides her, holding onto her hand and looking completely out of place within the crowds. She tugged at her hand, feeling a bit awkward with such a display, but his grip around it tightened.

She sighed, fed up with the attention. "I don't understand why you tagged along," she commented, looking away from him.

"I heard a rumor and concerned myself."

"Stark…" Cyan looked at him, trailing off. She tugged at her hand once more, but to no avail.

"I heard I was visiting you often and apparently, Aizen's angry."

"Are you purposely trying to make him angry?"

He looked at her, arching an eyebrow, bemused.

She disregarded her own inquiry and sighed lightly.

She began picking out boxed lunches, anything easy to prepare and feed her gigai – which oddly enough, needed to be fed regularly. After a full week of spending her time trying to get a hobby, she ended up sleeping day in and out, only walking out to take some air. During those times, she would run into Orihime, or Tōshirō – who would question her and ignore her the rest of the while. For some reason, she was told to maintain some surveillance over the people staying with Orihime ever since the Grimmjow incident. Aizen sent Ulquiorra to deliver the message around three days ago, while Stark was visiting. Caught in an awkward situation, Ulquiorra merely passed on the message and informed Stark that he was expected by Aizen.

"Why are you buying so much?" Stark asked, looking over her shoulder.

Cyan regained her senses and she realized she had been piling up the boxed lunches. "I heard it's healthy to eat plenty," Cyan remarked, embarrassed.

Stark looked at her cautiously as she walked down the aisle, catching more incredulous looks because the large stack of lunches she was carrying in her hands. She unconsciously began dragging him along. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing in particular," she answered.

"Cyan—"

She stopped, balancing the items on her hand, turning her attention to him. "Suddenly, I've stopped feeling responsive to my original body," she began slowly.

Stark stared at her silently. "We should talk about this when we return to your adobe."

Cyan shook her head. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't speak of me." She turned away and began walking towards the cash register.

Stark let go of her, watching her as she stood in line behind another woman.

Her mind had been unsettled since the day she met the white-haired boy. He asked her questions, she was unsure of, but answered with reluctance to continue with the façade. Orihime often said certain things that she found strange, little tidbits she had difficulty responding to, but managed. The undying whirlpool that was her mind was full of self-doubt and unawareness because the job that she was given was one that wouldn't end happily. A deep buried emotion sat within her that nudged her in a way for her to enjoy the days there.

She smiled lightly at the cashier, sensing Stark's presence besides her waiting for her to pay. The woman in front of her was slightly distracted by the sight of the well-dressed man behind Cyan. It bothered her. She wondered if that was a certain emotion called…_jealousy_. She glared at the mere thought of being jealous over a human woman and over Stark of all people.

She paid her dues and grabbed a hold of the bags that awaited her at the end of the table, only to have them taken away by Stark. She looked at him, bothered. He didn't pay attention, merely took her bags, and began walking ahead of her. She didn't intend to protest and slowly made her way after him. She caught up with him.

"Would you like to speak?"

"No." Cyan looked down, staring at her sandaled feet.

Stark yawned.

"Are you leaving back to Las Noches?"

He nodded. "Meeting," he answered. "Lilinette expects me to be there." He looked at her, waiting for her expression to change, but it didn't.

Cyan wasn't sure what to feel.

"Are you going?"

"No. I'm not supposed to attend."

"It's an Espada meeting."

"I'm not supposed to be present," she repeated, keeping her eyes fixed on the pavement.

The supermarket wasn't far from her home. If he decided, he could leave her there and she wouldn't have trouble getting home. She left her apartment early, expecting him not to visit, but he surprised her. She figured the more it occurred, the suspicions would grow within the shinigami and she knew the boy was perceptive.

"You should consider leaving now," Cyan suggested.

"I'll wait," he replied firmly.

Cyan shook her head in disapproval. "I want…"

He looked her way and she quickly looked away, her cheeks reddening. He smiled crookedly.

She could feel his gaze on her and she felt warmth.

They lapsed into silence as they walked down the paved road at a slow pace. She averted her gaze, looking up at the clearing sky – strange for a winter morning. Yet, something ominous lingered in the air and she saw it. A rip in the sky, tearing open slowly, revealing Sinlen in full form, and her eyes were quickly averted to meet with Cyan.

"She's going to ruin everything." Stark let out an exasperated sigh and rubbed the back of his head finding the situation unnecessary.

"Leave," Cyan said slowly.

"What?"

"If she's here, it's because of me."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Run," she replied coolly.

She wasn't sure what she was able to do in a human shell. In fact, she couldn't come to terms with her own gigai. Everything was responding against her. It was strange.

"You can't expect me to—"

Cyan interrupted him and grabbed the bags he was carrying. "Please, leave." Her voice was soft.

"I'll take care of her."

"No. I'm sure she's been sensed by the shinigami. Leave before—"

Sinlen landed hard on the pavement in front of them, chuckling malevolently. "Such a pity," she said with a tsk. "Aizen-sama will be angry."

"It's not your business to present yourself before me," Cyan responded, disregarding her words.

Stark showed reluctance to leave and he took a step forward. "Everyone around you is troublesome," he said, regarding Cyan before opening a Garganta himself. He walked towards Sinlen, knowing the time between them being caught was running short.

Sinlen drew her zanpakutō and pointed it at Stark. He stopped, watching her carefully.

"You should return to Las Noches, you've been called by Aizen," Sinlen warned.

Stark didn't answer.

Cyan's eye twitched as she sensed the reiatsu of a shinigami heading their way. "Stark, leave."

Stark sighed and headed into the Garganta, watching the confrontation before Cyan turned to running.

Sinlen laughed and went after her, proving the gap between their speed while Cyan was in that body. "Don't you regret it, Cyan de Imortell?" she asked, stifling a laugh. "Don't you regret not killing me that day?"

Cyan dropped her bags and continued down the paved street; people gave her odd looks as she sped past them unable to use sonido or her original strength. Sinlen swung her blade down, hoping to slice her down the back, but she managed to avoid it scarcely. Even her reflexes were off. She stumbled, almost falling on the ground, but managed to regain her composure. She continued running, breathing heavily – exhaustion weighing her down. Regardless of her fatigue, she persevered on propelling herself onward until the shinigami intercepted.

Sinlen slashed at her once more, this time slicing through her back. Cyan cringed as the pain burst within her body and she internally hoped she wouldn't be pushed out of her gigai. She fell on the ground harshly, looking around, unaware of her surroundings. Everything was empty, no sign of humans.

She tried pulling herself up, but the blade stabbed right through her shoulder. The pain seeped through, and blood dripped over Sinlen's blade from the open wound.

"Aren't you willing to attack me?" Sinlen queried mockingly.

Cyan opened her mouth to speak, tasting the bitterness of blood in her mouth. The crimson liquid dripped from her lips, falling in small drops on the grass. She coughed viciously. Sinlen twisted her sword inside of her and Cyan yelped. Shutting her eyes tightly from the pain spreading through her entire body, ever nerve ignited.

"I wouldn't be as pathetic as attacking **you** unharmed," Cyan spat, blood falling from her lips. She breathed laboriously.

Sinlen barked a laugh, pushing Cyan's body against the ground with her foot. At that point, she regretted sending Stark away. If her identity were proven, she'd be in trouble. A strong reiatsu surfaced and the pain that had steadied through her body vanished, the blood continued seeping through the white fabric of her shirt. She turned around, hearing a struggled muffle out of Sinlen, watching as the white-haired shinigami fought against her.

"Kitamura-san." Cyan looked back, struggling to sit up, staring at the worried eyes of Orihime. "Stay still."

"I'm fine…" Cyan said.

Orihime pushed her down lightly, placing her hands over her. "Sōten Kisshun, I reject."

One of her hairpins glowed and two petals vanished. Cyan closed her eyes in pain as an oval shield formed around her. When she opened them she fretted, being inside the shield and attempted to get out, but she was unable. The pain in her shoulder and back was vanishing slowly.

Within the week, she had forgotten the abilities Orihime had and managed to maintain a surprised expression on her face.

"She got away."

Orihime glanced up. "At least we got here in time to help, Kitamura-san," she said lightly as Tōshirō walked up beside them. "But, why were you attacked…?"

"It's only natural she was attacked," Tōshirō replied knowingly.

Orihime glanced up and surprisingly, Cyan did as well with the same confusion etched into her features. Was there any reason as to why she would be sought out by the arrancar as Kitamura Sayomi?

"Would Aizen…"

"It's hard to explain the reasons, but we should keep an eye on her."

Cyan felt bothered, how Tōshirō spoke about her as if she wasn't present. She sat up within the healing sphere, the wound patched up, and a thankful smile on her face.

"How long have the arrancar been after you?" Orihime asked, finishing her technique.

"The what?" she queried.

Tōshirō rolled his eyes, knowing an explanation would be in order.

Cyan seemed confused.

* * *

As soon as he arrived, he tossed aside his gigai and tracked down the reiatsu of a certain ex-Espada. Ignoring everyone's presence, he walked through the halls, irritated. The idea clicked in his mind on sight, watching Sinlen make her way out of the Garganta – Nnoitra obviously sent her. He intended to getting rid of Nnoitra, that man had finally managed to get on his last nerve, but to avoid any serious punishment he'd merely ask for an exchange of words.

Stark watched him walking passively in front of him, his blond-haired fracción following in silence, and the anger within him boiled. He made his presence known.

Nnoitra stopped with a large smirk on his face. Stark stopped in front of him with a cautious glare directed at the taller man towering over him.

"What brings ya here, Primera?" he asked playfully.

Stark's gaze, narrowed in vigilance, didn't falter and neither had his voice when he spoke for the first and last. "You've drawn my last warning, harm her in any sense and I will return the favor to you," he stated sternly, pushing past the taller Espada.

Nnoitra's eyebrows knitted in frustration and he gripped his zanpakutō, pulling it over his head and throwing it at Stark with full intent of murder on his mind. Tesla moved away, knowing a battle might commence.

Stark merely sidestepped, the blade avoiding him completely and reached out to grab its handle. He turned around. He grabbed a good hold of it, ripping the chain that linked it to Nnoitra with a single tug, and launched it back at the lanky man.

Nnoitra laughed at Stark's attempt to use his own sword against him. He moved over to avoid it and his expression changed drastically.

Stark pulled down on the chain, causing the direction of the sword to shift last minute, slashing Nnoitra's torso.

Nnoitra looked up at Stark, who discarded the chain and turned away, carrying on with his time. "I don't care if you are the Primera, I'll repay you tenfold!" Nnoitra threatened, prepared to lunge himself at him.

Stark vanished.

He merely shrugged off the warning and made his way back to his room, hoping to see Cyan sometime after the meeting they were scheduled to attend later that afternoon. Seeing her well would ease his irritation, but for the time being, he would talk to Lilinette. She would be waiting for his arrival inside his room. He sonido'd making it a faster appearance and walked inside his room. Lilinette was sitting at the window looking up, lost in thought.

Stark shut the door behind him and crossed the room, plopping onto his bed face first.

"Lilinette," Stark called, his face buried in the pillow.

Lilinette turned to face him. "What is it Stark?"

"Can you feel it?" he queried curiously.

Lilinette looked at the ground and sighed. "You love her, don't you?"

"Think so."

* * *

* The first half of this chapter was a re-written version of Chapter 11's events, told in Lilinette's perspective. If it's still confusing, which would be understandable…the reason why she was the starter of this chapter would all meet ends in the following chapters.


	27. Bloody Desecration

Chapter Twenty-Six: Bloody Desecration 

Scooping her fallen self from the ground while a deep sense of injustice ran through her body at the thought of Sinlen just prancing away without as much as a scratch on her. While she had healed from hers through Orihime's aid, she kept her emotions on check, making sure to seem worried, or panicky considering the cat and mouse chase she had mixed into. But, she remained silent as the three of them made their way back to the apartment building. Orihime and Tōshirō had exchanged a few words, but they were mere whispers, making it harder for her to hear. She made a few details out of their whispered words, her name was uttered an inconsiderable amount of times and she internally wondered if that was a notion she should concern herself with.

She pushed all lone thoughts aside, going back to her previous train of thought – her mission. Though, there was no need for any further understanding of it, she knew Aizen had planned it since before asking her name.

_Had he asked?_

Her mind was bleary and marked by confusion. Her heart ached with displeasure knowing Stark was no longer be with her. Possibly, after what had happened, it would be safer to remain within Las Noches at all costs.

Her hatred for Sinlen ran deeper than the one for Nnoitra. She could turn away from her path, open a Garganta, and just end their ongoing feud. Her fingers twitched in disgust, abhorrence for the monster she wished to kill. Never in her life had she ever felt so hassled, pushed to the limits of her patients. The sand in her hourglass was down to its final grains and once they slipped through the loop, she would snap once more. Aizen often mentioned her sanity was the only thing of worth about her, a stable mind that couldn't be penetrated and unmoved – leisure. It was a lie and she knew it was meant to keep her from going crazy within the monochromic fortress.

_My eyes had long ago become accustomed to the riveting greenery before them, a shallow stream flows between the flowerbed and I have unconsciously slipped over it. Daydreaming has always caused me troubles, but that day…not a lot of problems had been expected when my widened eyes met his kind gaze. I scrambled for the right words, the most generous greeting I could muster, but he spoke before I was able to._

_"Are you all right, T—san?"_

_How easily he had spoken my name, enveloped in kindness and generously handed to me like a gift. My face burned from embarrassment as his hand grabbed a hold of my body, returning my feet to the ground, and merely laughing at my appearance. But, he apologized. _

_I forgave him._

Cyan blinked, having stopped inches from entering Orihime's adobe – _she had invited her to tea, but she didn't recall._ They shot odd looks at her; Orihime questioned her, "Are you okay?"

She swallowed and nodded, stepping inside and removing her shoes at the entrance.

"I'll make tea."

She followed Tōshirō, who merely arched an eyebrow before turning away. They walked towards the small wooden table set for meals. He took a seat and she took hers across from him. Her eyes filling with curiosity as he opened his mouth and got straight to the point – Kitamura Sayomi's life and the only reason why Aizen would ask his arrancar to chase after her. (Though it took a while to fill her in a few supernatural details and give thorough but curt explanations of shinigami, hollow, and arrancar.)

"Aizen targeted Kitamura Sayomi in an attempt to use her for information, though this wasn't confirmed until after his defection and the investigation began," he said. "There's no details going too deep into their relationship, but after he entered Hueco Mundo, two people went missing, Sayomi being one of them – whether or not she aided him, or used the time of his defection as a diversion to escape and hide from him. Nothing confirms any of her actions and those close to her aren't necessarily conscious of her private life, though, her captain did not have much to say about it either."

Her own curiosity got the best of her, learning even the smallest bit of information of Sayomi was useful. Not to her mission, but in fueling the reason she was always told she looked like her.

"So…?"

"It's quite possible you are the same person and you're lying."

She seemed taken aback. "I couldn't be her," she said, trying to sound distressed. Making the white-haired boy believe her looks resembling Sayomi were nothing but a mere coincidence. But, the more she stressed the thought…the bigger the coincidence grew. _What if this isn't a coincidence at all and Aizen-sama has planned everything far from what he asked me to remember?_ "If…there was a chance, I wouldn't remember anything at all."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Then you must be lying."

She shut her mouth watching Orihime walk towards them with a round tray, setting down the tea for them and one for herself, though she knew she couldn't offer much to the conversation other than speculation. Tōshirō reached for his tea, taking a sip and placing it back down, keeping his eyes firm.

"I—I d-don't know a-a-anything," she said, nervous to the point of falling off her chair. She stayed silent in order to think of something good to say, but she backtracked, going back to square one – _perplexity. _She messed up, unable to keep herself from stuttering. She cursed as she wondered where that vulnerability had come from.

Their conversation continued until he received an alert for a Hollow attack near the area and the young captain turned to leave. Orihime glanced at Cyan and she knew the orange-haired girl didn't know what to say.

"If Aizen wanted information, why would he target me?" she asked, not seeking an answer.

"Maybe it's because you look like the Sayomi he knew," Orihime answered, drinking from her tea. "What if you're the same person, but don't remember what happened."

_"There's no details going too deep in their relationship, but after he entered Hueco Mundo, two people went missing, Sayomi being one of them…"_

"He said two people went missing, if one of them was Sayomi, who was the other person?" she asked, moving away from the original topic.

She had been given the history by Tōsen, who had mentioned one person leaving Seireitei with them, but she had never met them. When she asked either one of the commanders or her leader, she wouldn't get an answer. She attempted to remember the day of her rebirth and felt a sharp ache in her head.

_"You are one of the few who have been given a second chance," Aizen began slowly. "If you listen to all orders accordingly, you may become more than just a vassal."_

_"Yes—" I tried to speak his name, feeling myself mouth the words, but I quickly retracted._

_My weary eyes met with calm, emotionless orbs as a hand curled over my neck, threatening to asphyxiate me if another slip occurred. I opened my mouth to apologize, but as I attempted at speaking coherent words, I was unable to make anything from the gurgling noise I made as I gasped for air._

_He tightened his grip on me, causing my eyes to squint from the pain. "We've gone over this, Cyan de Imortell, you will refer to me as Aizen-sama," he said sternly, a threatening tone that caused chills to run down my spine. _

_An Arrancar was a Hollow who tore its mask off, born with the help of the Hōgyoku, an orb with abilities to dissolve the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow. The explanations given to me had happened long ago, before I was allowed to leave that dark cell. Every day, I waited expectantly in silence for someone to venture inside. Someone to talk to, even for just a little bit. About anything, I wasn't fussy._

_"Yes, Aizen-sama," I managed breathlessly._

_A malevolent smiled upturned in his lips as he pulled his hand from my neck, running it against the exposed skin of my neck. I flinched involuntarily. "Have you learned your purpose?"_

_What more was there for me to learn? Other than the fact, my sacrifice would benefit him somehow._

_"Yes, Aizen-sama, I have learned my purpose."_

* * *

As darkness fell, the silence almost resounded in her ears as she sat against one of the many naked walls of her adobe, absentmindedly. A meeting had been called among the arrancar, but she hadn't been told about it. The congregation had something to do with the creation of another. Even if she wasn't invited, she never cared. Watching someone become an arrancar was a poignant experience for her. The beating of her heart would slow with a solemn lack of enthusiasm and her expression remained straight without a hint of emotion. But her heart ached once the process was completed. That life was nothing more than the beginning of servitude to their shinigami lord.

Cyan pulled herself from her seat; motioning to the air in front of her once she checked the window for possible viewers and opened a Garganta. She stepped inside, a small idea passing her by and catching her approval too quickly. She had a score to settle with Sinlen and without Nnoitra around her; she was probably wandering Las Noches in her lonesome.

If tranquil silence was the only thing around her, giving off a strangely welcoming sensation…_she had another thing coming. _

* * *

Sinlen's stomps bounced around the hallway as she made her way towards the throne room after having her scratches treated. If she hadn't been attacked by that shinigami, Cyan's head would have been rolling over the ground and she would have received her master's praise. Or she hoped.

She crossed another hall, a pair of quiet footsteps coming from the darkened hallway to her left. She didn't give them much regard, knowing there were dozens of arrancar around that area – once she sensed their reiatsu from where she stood. She crossed the pathway, bumping shoulders with another arrancar.

Snarling she looked down at the shorter, petite arrancar with curly brown hair and recognized her without giving it anymore thought. "Watch it Renna!" she said quickly.

"I'm sorry!" she said, bowing her head apologetically.

She turned away, stomping past her before her soft voice called again. "Sinlen-san, have you see Cyan-sama?"

Sinlen turned around, surprised to be asked for that witch. "How would I know?" she asked, bothered. "Wouldn't she be in the human world doing her job? Why do you want to know anyways?"

"I've been assigned as her fracción," Renna said with a smile, almost proud of the position to Sinlen's utter disgust. "She can't be in the human world, I just felt her reiatsu a few minutes ago before it vanished and I found her gigai lying on the ground in her tower."

Sinlen's eyes widened and she quickly scoped the area, searching for even a hint of her reiatsu. NOTHING. She came up with absolutely nothing, but the mixture of the reiatsu of the other lower ranks, who didn't do much to suppressing.

Renna shot her an odd look. "Well, if you haven't seen her, I'll go look for her somewhere else."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Renna sonido'd away from her, going further and further deeper into Las Noches.

After the girl departed, there was an eerie feel about her surroundings. The halls were shadowed heavily, growing darker as the seconds ticked by and she heard the clank of metal hit the ground. Her body shuddered at the resonance of the metal.

_Click._

_Clack._

Quiet footsteps resounded along with the screech of a blade scratching along the ground.

Sinlen drew her zanpakutō from her belt instinctively, knowing it would be necessary. She held it upright, listening as the sounds drew closer.

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

_Clack. _

She turned back, her eyes looking past the darkness to see a figure approaching and a blade dragging along the ground behind the person. White booted-heels, a long coat with a high collar and a pair of shorts beneath – the shadows loomed over her body, clinging to it and her face was shielded by her pink hair.

"You!" she said, finding her presence unnecessary.

Cyan de Imortell was stepping closer to her with not so much as a sound from her mouth but from her movements – the stomp of her feet and the scratch of her blade as it dug into the ground with force.

"What are you doing here?"

The safety of being far from her had faded away. The fact that Cyan was tied to remain in the human world, thus never allowed the time to fight back.

Cyan lifted her gaze, her eyes were narrowed – cold and unfazed as the day she had first encountered her. She opened her mouth to shout once more, avoiding the fear while it seeped through her being, running its course through her veins.

She blinked and Cyan was gone. Her heart accelerated, her mind blanked without a true reason. The woman appeared in front of her and she had a mere second to avoid that first attack.

Sinlen stumbled back, holding her sword high to block as Cyan's pushed it further down against her.

"My patience has run thin enough, Sinlen," she said, her eyes smoldering with determination. "Provocation, accusations, and or pleads will not stop me from killing you."

Sinlen huffed in response, hiding her habitual fear. She pushed back Cyan's sword, which seemed too easy for her. She took a few steps back. "Killing me? Nnoitra-sama w—"

Her eyes widened, not having the time to speak to her. Cyan hastily swung at her mid-speech, slipping past her senses, before she had time to realize she had vanished from before her eyes, but just in time to feel the excruciating pain of her shoulder being sliced open.

She felt her left arm go numb, forcing her to use only her right as it fell limp at her side. Her eyes were bloodshot as the numbing began to spread and the battle began. The only arm she had in use could not hold up against the heavy hits of Cyan's sword of her swift movements. The way her reiatsu felt like nothing more than a soft breath against her face and later turned into the terrifying energy that filled every nook and cranny of the halls – it was terrorizing.

Sinlen felt her body being torn apart as the battle progressed, her muscles straining beyond their limits and wearing her down. She felt the cold sweat slide down her face in anticipated horror as she attempted to read her next movements. It was bewildering how uneasy the battle ended up being so short.

She had always believed her body to be more durable for battle, at least against _her_ – she never deserved to take Nnoitra's rank. It was obvious how weak she was, how easily she clung to the Primera and expected him to do everything. Her incriminating actions that dubbed her the whore of Las Noches – spending days on in staying in Aizen's private quarters – everything Nnoitra had said was the only truth she had known.

But she had seen them. The bodies Cyan had been accused of murdering. The monstrous kills that made people cringe instinctively. As a final thought, the last one she felt whisk past her mind – _would I fall as they had?_

Cyan's fingers were pressed against her cut up torso. She mouthed a few words to her, but she couldn't hear them sensing someone else drawing closer to the area as she watched her own blood stain Cyan's clothes and skin.

"Y-you're a m-monster—"

* * *

"Cyan de Imortell."

She lifted her gaze, stopping in front of a smaller arrancar with curly brown hair. Her bone fragments sitting over her neck forming a small cracked star over her chest. She stared quietly at her for a moment before the girl spoke again.

"Aizen-sama has assigned me to be your fracción," she said, smiling. "My name is Renna."

Cyan arched an eyebrow, the news not sitting well with her. Why would she need a fracción if she were spending most of her time in the human world?

She turned her attention downward to her sullied clothes. "Excuse me," she said, whisking past the shorter arrancar.

There was no pang of guilt after what she had done. None whatsoever. Though, it came to her as a surprise because she had always believed to feel at least some after every kill she delivered. Maybe she had been over thinking things and taken it too far when she decided to kill Sinlen finally. The only wrong she had done to her was stab her in the back under Nnoitra's orders. If there was anyone in Las Noches she needed to kill it had to be the ex-Quinta.

Unfortunately, Aizen was still playing favorites, not getting rid of Nnoitra and merely using his existence to further trouble Cyan. She knew that much.

She returned to her quarters where she would dress herself to leave and wander around for a bit before returning to her post in the human world. There wasn't much to do there, but pretend she didn't know anything that was happening between Aizen and Soul Society, but it was amusing to watch everyone fret over the upcoming battle. She wasn't very excited about it though, it seemed too troublesome, and something else told her not to worry over it too much.

As if some part of her knew something big would happen before she had a chance to take part in any fight. It was an undeveloped feeling that didn't receive much regard until her mind turned to wander over matters that are more important. Whenever she had time to whisk past her selfishness and glance at the big picture. The images before her eyes – figments of her own imagination, drenched the visuals in crimson. There was nothing to look forward to with that thought lodged into her mind.

Cyan finished dressing herself and slipped her zanpakutō through the black sash over her hips. She got the blood out of her hair with water, having to scrunch it against her hands to remove the substance.

She turned away from the couch in the room and made her way towards the doorway when she heard it click open. She stopped, watching the door open slowly revealing a tired-looking Stark as he walked inside. His eyes were closed as he rubbed the back of his head, letting out a yawn. "I suppose you're the one who killed her?"

"Killed who?" she asked, too innocently for his tastes.

He closed the door behind him, arching an eyebrow at her response. His eyes had already scanned the room and found her sullied clothes lying askew on the floor.

He sighed.

"Haven't you been sleeping?" she asked, seeing him more tired than normal.

"Something like that," he said, walking up to her.

He placed one had at the back of her head, pulling her face closer to his as he leaned down to kiss her. It was a simple kiss, nothing more than his greeting to her and that's how she took it, even though she was selfish enough to want more than just a peck. His hand left her head, pink strands of hair slipping from between his fingers and landing over her back in place.

She followed his movements as he made his way towards her couch, plopping down on it casually and closing his eyes. She joined him, kneeling down next to the large couch, and resting her arms over it. "Why don't you try sleeping now?"

He glanced to look at her, but did not respond. He shifted his body so he way lying on his side, keeping him face to face with her as she watched him. There was something different about him, she noticed it, but could not really point it out. She smiled lightly and rested her head against her own arms, exhaling.

A comfortable atmosphere filled the room. It was soothing and calm. Simply perfect.

"When are you going back?"

"In a bit," she said, closing her eyes.

"You should stay here for today…with me." He looked at her, serious.

Cyan lifted her head and looked at him. "I have a mission to stay in the human world, wouldn't that be asking too much of me?" she asked.

"No," he said.

"I need to put orders—"

"You don't need to," he interrupted.

She closed her mouth and stood up quickly, turning away. "Then I want to, and I will be leaving now," she said, taking a step forward.

His arm shot up, grabbing her by the fist and pulling her back towards him. Cyan tripped on her own two feet as she tried to pull her arm from his grip and fell forward, on him. He grunted, being caught off guard, but held her in place even through her futile struggle.

"Let go of me!" she said, demanding her release, unable to calm down. There was a hint of fear mixed with her emotions, _what if someone saw them like that?_ The information would be relayed to Aizen and they would be subjected to some sort of punishment for going against his orders.

Telling him enough that she didn't want to see him was not sufficient to keep him from her. She could deal with everything without him and try not to think about not being close. Anything to prevent a punishment for their defiance.

"I can't," he said. His grip tightened around her body as he closed his eyes and rested his head back. "I don't want to do any wrong to you…"

Cyan lifted her gaze to meet his face, surprised.

"…Stay here for today."

She averted her gaze and let her head drop over his chest. "Fine, I'll stay."

She didn't do anything from that point on and simply waited until he fell asleep. Her words were half-hearted. She had never really lied to him, but it was crucial for her to do so. She had a feeling that there was something she had to finish in the human world before she could return to Las Noches.

Cyan pulled away from his tight hold, escaping the warm he enveloped her with and quietly made her way out the door. She turned down the hallway, stopping when her eyes landed on Renna.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Aizen-sama assigned me as your new fracción," she said, reminding her of the first words they had exchanged. "My room was also moved to the other side of the hall so I'll be really close by if you ever need anything."

The teen was surprisingly cheerful.

Cyan arched an eyebrow. "I'm not holding this position for long, why would I need a fracción?" she asked.

Renna put both arms behind her back and shrugged. "Maybe Aizen-sama wants someone to watch over you, I heard you're one of the important ones in the group."

Her eyes narrowed in response to the girl's words. There was definitely something strange about Renna that wasn't reaching her, or maybe there was still someone holding their hands in front of her view. They allowed her to see through the small slits of their fingers, but never past that. "How much of me were you info—?"

"I know everything about you, Cyan-sama," Renna said, cutting her off.

Cyan gulped as the anxiety welled up inside of her. How much is everything?

"You're a very important person to Aizen-sama, almost as important as Sayomi—"

"Excuse me," she said, walking past the girl. Sayomi was mentioned by a girl who looked innocently naïve. Who is Sayomi? Other than a resource Aizen wanted to use. "If you're staying, stay away from my bedroom."

"Yes, Cyan-sama."

She was bothered. Flustered, angry, and most definitely bothered. She needed to get a hold of someone who could explain what Aizen was trying to do, but the only ones with such knowledge wouldn't let the information drop so easily.

Cyan walked down the steps at a lethargic pace, her mind flushed with confusion as another thing centered over her mind.

_"I don't want to do any wrong to you…"_

She stopped walking after stepping off the final step, her face twisting in agony, her eyes burning with tears. "What the hell does that suppose to mean?" she whispered, feeling a tear slide down her face. She reached up, quickly wiping it away before feeling another follow.

Whatever weighed heavily in her heart like a torture device was beginning to get to her. She was quick to label it as stress, there were plenty of things going on around her that were becoming difficult to understand.

She didn't like being the odd one out.

* * *

The rest of the evening, she spent inside her empty home. There were no new additions concerning furniture except a scrunched up blanket in the corner of the living room and a futon inside her bedroom. There was tea brewing in a kettle that had long ago begun spilling its contents over the stove – extinguishing the flame. She wondered what emotion she felt eating away at her insides as she watched the bubbling of the water as it spilled and slid over the round surface. Both hands were tucked inside the jean skirt pockets, the coldness of her home making her human body shiver responsively. Her hardened gaze remained on the floor, as if scrutinizing every little design on the tiles below her sandaled feet. Thoughtlessly, she might have already gone numb after all the confusion and the tears she had shed before arriving.

It was strange how easily it had been for her to cry and it was useful to believe she might have been holding them in longer than she realized. When she recalled the bits and pieces of her broken past, she remembered how easily she cried. Anything could pull the trigger and she'd be bawling regardless of who was present or not.

It was the easiest way to feel.

It was the simplest way to comprehend.

It was the only reassurance in her life.

But, she was often told not to cry.

_"If you kill another, will you cry?" he asked._

_I reached upward with my arm, rubbing away the falling tears from my cheeks as they continued sliding from my eyes. My vision was blurred and my heart heavy with apprehension. I never meant to kill them. He asked and I complied, they were orders and I obeyed. Disregarding his demands was out of the question and I did my best to stray away from pleasing him._

_I tightened the grip on my weapon, hearing the last living person groaning in agony as they twitched in their seat._

_"It seems you might have missed one," he said disapprovingly. "Finish him."_

_I nodded and walked towards the person, stepping over the cadavers of the others, the splash of crimson hitting my legs. I jumped towards the person as they slumped over, begging for mercy. I felt my eyes crying more, disapproving my actions with some emotional revolt. I lifted my blade over my head._

_His last words as he gazed upon my shadowed figure were negative, knowing I would not spare him. "You will die…w-worthless—" I lifted my foot over his head, slamming it down on him to keep him in place as I pushed my blade through his neck. _

_A final groan escaped his lips. _

_I stifled a sob, clasping a hand over my mouth and pulling out the blade from the back of his neck. The tears dripped from her chin onto her sullied clothes._

_I've become a hideous monster. I'm horrible. _

_Regardless of how many times I would tell myself, it was never enough for me to turn away from the game. I knew I would die if I would – immediately. He wouldn't allow me to live, which was the only thing I feared. Dying. Even if it was a part of life and I had brought it upon everyone, I was too much of a coward to accept it._

_"You've done well, once again," he said. _

_She rubbed away a few more of her tears, but she felt she had stained her face with the blood on her hands. _

_"Thank you."_

_"There is no reason for you to cry, you're simply doing everyone a favor," he began. "How long ago had you been sentenced and confined by these—"_

_"I understand," she said, interrupting him thoughtlessly._

She lifted her gaze from the ground and looked back towards the kettle. Her face filled with a tinge of color before it twisted in shock as a large reiatsu filled her room. She recognized it instantly.

"Stark, you fool," she said beneath her breath.

The fact that his reiatsu had traveled throughout the entire city would be enough to alert the shinigami standing guard.

She rushed out of her room, thoughtlessly. She only thought of him and the consequences, nothing more. She rushed as quickly as her human legs could carry her – not thinking over her own actions. With Stark being the unwelcomed visitor, every voice of reason was shut off or ignored – tossed aside to a corner in her mind that would never reach her system.

Cyan stopped abruptly as she sensed him getting closer and then appearing before her in a blink of an eye.

Once composed, she reached towards him, grabbing a hold of his white jacket. "What are you thinking?" she asked, her grip tightening on him.

"Would you have stayed, I would not be here, so let's go." He showed a hint of disdain with her abrupt actions.

"I will not, I still have a mission here."

"Your mission has been over, long before it had even started," he stated, showing a hint of anger. "This has been nothing more than a way to keep you from me."

"This isn't about us, there's—"

She stopped, interrupted by the presence of another. Stark and Cyan turned their attention from one another to the person behind her. The white-haired shinigami stood, glaring dangerously at both of them, a firm grip over the zanpakutō strapped to his back.

"I suspected as much from you, Sayomi."


	28. A Confirmation Worth Death

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Confirmation Worth Death

_With eyes wide open as I stare at the expanse of my vision, I remember his back as he walked away from me. I gave it little thought because I felt confident, as I had every other day that he would return to me unscathed. _

"I suspected as much from you, Sayomi."

Her hesitant gaze met with Hitsugaya Tōshirō's narrowed eyes and the animosity crushed her body.

The ambience seemed familiar to her, as though she had experienced something similar too far back to recall. But she remained ambivalent towards her past – that which was tied with webbing strings that have been easily torn many times before.

Neither of them spoke.

Hitsugaya hastily drew his sword instead and lunged himself at the two, aiming for her in particular.

What kind of person was Sayomi?

* * *

Renna entered the meeting room, suspecting it was empty. To her surprise, Aizen was seated in front of the table. When she approached him, she noticed an hourglass sitting on the table and reached out of curiosity.

"I'd advise you not to touch it."

She retracted her hand, bringing it back to her side, and looked over to him. "Forgive me, Sōsuke."

He gave her a cold stare and leaned back against his chair.

"Would you like company?"

He returned his gaze to the hourglass and gestured for her to leave.

Renna furrowed her eyebrows and walked past him, bothered by his crude actions. After all, there was only one thing on his mind and it would remain as so until…

"Renna, when you carry out your job, do try to seem believable."

She stopped.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she forced out.

"Good."

* * *

Cyan pushed Stark out of the way, pulling his zanpakutō from its sheath and taking the blunt force of Hitsugaya's assault. The young captain's attacks continued without relent, pushing her back constantly, closer to her gigai's breaking point. It was hard enough adjusting to the thing and she wanted to avoid an outburst of her reiatsu is somehow, she slipped out of her disguise.

With that in mind, she settled on blocking every one of the captain's attacks, without thinking of attacking back. She wasn't in the mood to fight, nor had she blacked out long enough to engage in a serious fight. That and she was using a sword that wasn't hers. Stark's sword felt easier to swing because it was lighter than her own.

She noticed Hitsugaya's focus was stringed to both her and Stark, he probably though he would be double-teamed by the two. If only he knew Stark was too lazy to lunge himself into battle without a good reason.

Cyan scarcely avoided more of his elemental attacks when she realized more shinigami were approaching. She was about to disarm him in order to get away when she felt someone grab her by the collar of her shirt and toss her back. She fell into the Garganta Stark had opened in the nick of time and looked up to him to complain somehow. He glanced down at her, bothered by her hasty actions.

"I've advised you countless times now," he said, almost coldly. "You need self-control."

"I have that," she replied after a brief silence.

He glanced at her as the Garganta opened to Hueco Mundo and stepped out.

"My zanpakutō," she said, walking after him.

She handed him his and he sheathed it, placing his hands in his pockets shortly after.

"Come get it when you're free."

"Can't you give it to me?" she asked hesitantly.

He stopped walking, causing her to mirror his actions before bumping into him.

"Cyan," he said clearly.

She looked up at the back of his head.

"Yes?"

"Have you grown tired of this?"

She averted her gaze and lifted her arms over her chest.

Misinterpreting her silence, Stark continued walking and unable to follow his footsteps, she watched his retreating form.

She felt a tight grip against her heart as though sorrow had flooded through her being as she saw him walk away from her. Her eyes searched the white sands for some sort of response, but there was nothing waiting for her. Other than overflowing hills of sand that continued without surrender – nothing responsive had enlightened her.

_I do not belong in this world._

Perplexed and disillusioned, Cyan made her way back to Las Noches.

She took her time to further her own confusion and upon entering, her self-proclaimed fracción was waiting. The shorter girl stood in the middle of the hall, jolting at the sight of her.

"Welcome back, Hi—" She froze halfway and earned a glare from Cyan. "Ugh—ah—_Cyan-sama!_"

Cyan walked past the smaller girl, feeling strangely pleased when she ignored her overconfident presence.

She made her way towards her room, still mulling over Stark's words before their arrival. Even more the fact that Aizen would send him to go fetch her. She halfheartedly expected to receive some sort of punishment because they were caught by the shinigami, but decided not to worry about it when she entered her room.

Renna had invited herself in and Cyan only stared at her for a short minute as she looked at her surroundings in amazement, as if she had never been in such a room before. Renna's eyes met with Cyan and she took a step back.

"Leave."

The girl did as she was told.

Cyan shut the door after her and locked it. She placed both palms against the cold door and leaned in towards it.

"Stark…"

* * *

"Did you hear about the human girl brought to Las Noches?"

Cyan turned to face Renna, who made herself comfortable on the couch in her room. "Is this of any concern to you?"

"Nope, but it's interesting to know, she's the human girl you met during your mission."

She pulled herself from her bed and fixed her hakama. "Is she here now?"

"Yes, I heard she's under Ulquiorra's care."

She felt curious to go see her, but at the same time, she would rather stay inside her room. It's been a day since she had arrived and nothing interesting happened since. She didn't want to stray too far from her tower in order to avoid meeting with Stark. She was hesitant about meeting him, not knowing what to expect from such an encounter. Would he be the one tired at the end of everything?

"Ah," she said, making her way towards the door.

"Are you going to see her?"

"I'm going for a walk."

Renna leaned back against the couch. "Aizen-sama hasn't called you, has he?"

Cyan averted her eyes, stopping in front of the door. "I do not see how that information should concern you."

"You're afraid that you're no longer of use to him, right?"

She furrowed her eyebrows in apprehension. Renna was toying with her. She wanted to get rid of her; a normal arrancar like her would not be missed.

"When Aizen-sama decides that, I will not resist." She opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

Cyan made her way down the hall, her eyes glued to the ground as she paced herself around Las Noches. She kept her mind blank to move away from excessive worries.

She bumped shoulders with someone and looked up. Her eyes met with Stark's and he shifted his attention towards her.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The meeting…"

He trailed off and reached up to touch her face, but she moved away.

"Renna told me to stay in my room for the day."

He arched an eyebrow, letting his hand fall to his side. "Who is that?"

"Aizen-sama assigned her as my fracción."

"I see."

She looked at him, eyes glinting with a tinge of sadness. "Stark."

He walked past her and waved his hand lazily.

She watched him and for a short second…hated him.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she continued down the hall. Her eyes stared at the unwinding halls, the longer they became, the bigger strain she felt as she walked.

What had they done wrong? What was happening? When did they stray? How did it become like this? She continued replaying those questions in her mind until she finally came to a stop.

Ulquiorra had left a room and turned down the hall to leave. He lifted his gaze and met with her.

"Is there something you need, Cyan?"

"I came to see the human."

He didn't answer and continued down the hall.

She followed him with her eyes and returned her gaze back to the door. She walked closer to it and opened it slowly.

When she entered, she saw the orange-haired girl standing in the center of the room. Her eyes were looking towards the small window in the wall. Her hands were held up against her chest in worry.

It was Orihime.

Orihime turned her face slightly to regard her and her eyes widened.

"Hello," Cyan says absentmindedly.

"Sayo—"

"My true name is Cyan, Orihime."

She turned her body completely and looked her over once again. There was a curious gleam in her sullen eyes as she looked back up to Cyan's face.

"Cyan-san, were you the other shinigami who had gone missing."


	29. Silently the Hour Ends

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Silently the Hour Ends

Cyan stood still, her heart racing in her chest as she digested Orihime's inquiry. As innocent as it had been, she felt a guilty pang hit her chest incessantly. She opened her mouth to respond, but as she tried to speak…no sound fell out. Bothered by her sudden loss of words, she gave the ginger-haired teenager one last look and a muttered apology before rushing out of her prison.

Without taking the looming presences lingering in the shadows into consideration, she zipped down the halls trying to find closure in herself. Something – anything that could prove Orihime's query wrong because that's what it was. It was false information, yet she quickly lost her composure. As if the consistent reveries and daydreams weren't bothering her enough already, now she lost her cool to an innocent question! But had they always been symbolic in a sense?

She remembered her past life, before being reborn as an arrancar. She lived through anguish, through hell within family restrictions and forbidden love affairs; she faced irrevocable consequences and died for her sins. She was murdered as she had murdered others, but was the world she recalled just a figment of her imagination?

No. She shook her head in assertion, irked by her lost equanimity the further down the hall she traveled. Had she been in full control of her emotions, had Stark's words not upset her like they had the moment he uttered them, she would have screamed in opposition to the teen's farfetched query. To dub _her_ a shinigami, to see her as so and say it so casually rattled the little sense of monotony she had embraced since becoming an Espada. Knowing that she wasn't crazy or power hungry and that she was unique in ability to recall her past lives.

The questions she proposed to herself were nerve-racking, causing further delusion in her little world.

* * *

Somewhere, behind the deep shadows of the hallways, watching as Cyan sped past them a pair stood in front of one another in conversation. Renna had been trailing after Cyan to make sure she hadn't run off somewhere else and to find ways to tease her, but while she was on surveillance, she was joined by another. Ichimaru Gin emerged into the dim lighting and greeted her. Once Cyan's blurred profile passed them by, they exchanged odd glances.

Gin sighed exasperated. "Looks like Cyan-chan won't last very long now."

Renna walked down the hallway after her master's retreating footsteps faded away. Her eyes were focused on the opaque walls surrounding them. Her mind had wandered elsewhere, first to her duty and eventually to another's.

"You think he'll carry out his order without it being forced on him?" She turned to regard the silver-haired man, who smiled mockingly at her question.

He shrugged his shoulders. "He wouldn't dare raise his sword against the woman he loves."

"Thought as much."

He laughed. "But, that's why yer around, _Sayomi-chan_."

She glared at him and huffed. "I'm trying to avoid a chance encounter; it's a miracle she hasn't tried to kill herself."

Gin leaned against the wall and looked up, slightly bothered by how the end was written out for Cyan, but at that point, he couldn't do anything to help her. Not that he would try, considering her aggressive nature as her true self.

"You were pretty mean with her back then, it's a wonder she didn't get rid of ya."

"That's because Aizen always kept her on a leash."

"Well, you've got nothin' ta worry about since she's under Captain Aizen's illusion."

She walked further down the hall, rubbing her arms. "How much longer is he going to wait?"

"Yer too hasty."

"I want her dead," she said turning down the hall. "Let's hope her supposed lover follows through with his orders."

* * *

Breathing easy after her panic, Cyan strode down the narrow hallways as she usually had back then, using them as simple means to entertain herself, now that there was nothing left for her to do than walk around Las Noches. She could venture into Hueco Mundo, further into the desert to give time to her wild phantasms. The quiet surroundings outside the white castle may be able to ease her mind. For her to remember the time she had spent outside wandering and searching…

Cyan left Las Noches once more and began her small journey. She would roam the expanse, walk towards the first place her memory had to offer, the primary source of her descend. But as she walked over tall hills and crossed through clear paths, reminiscing about the pain and odium which compelled her to continue, she noticed the difference. There was a change – no, obvious disparity with her previous resolve. To live in a world of monster for reasons unknown to her, to gain power and later be revered by the fruits of her growth – that tenacity seemed too generic for her to find accommodating.

The longer she spent wasting away within the tumbles of sand; she would come across a single piece of the puzzle that would throw her off. She did not see a desert setting under a dainty moon's light; she saw roads paved in crimson and eyes that watched her in fear. And though the same sense of animosity filled her body then, she remembered the sight of a man, whose face was shrouded in a light veil of darkness; look down at her with a smile while offering her a hand.

She stopped abruptly, kicking the sand beneath her feet. In the beginning, her mind had been filled with recollections of her evolution, despite being generic. She would be a lowly arrancar if that's the type of life she led and would never merit an Espada position, yet there she stood with Nnoitra's previous title. And, though she could not admit it to herself out in the open or inwardly, she knew he would be given back his position among the Espada. She had outlived her value, long before she had come to realize it.

Death was staring her in the face as she stood in the midst of the broad wasteland. She would reluctantly fall into its grip and disappear from the world, but her heart refused to allow her to choose such an end.

Her eyes widened slightly as she recalled Stark's words. Had she grown tired of _this_? She had not. But she had grown exhausted of following orders and restrictions, tired of fighting under Aizen, who had given her power. She was far from ready to relive Stark from his position in her heart.

Reassured to certain extent, enough to brush aside previous worries and the fear of being cast aside, Cyan returned to Las Noches. She headed towards her room in order to pick away at her memories in peace, hoping Renna wouldn't appear to intrude.

She casually strode past the maze-like hallways until she finally reached the staircase leading up to her tower. She lifted her gaze and felt a sudden rush of blood to her head at the sight of Stark sitting at the bottom of the staircase with his eyes on the ground. He looked up to acknowledged her presence and their eyes locked for a short minute, enough to cause her heart to flutter in her chest.

He pulled himself up from his seat and walked towards her, taking a hold of her hand. He tugged her along for a few steps before she stopped him.

"What do you want?" It had unconsciously slipped in that form, even if she didn't intend to sound rude, but it did and he regarded her for it.

He arched an eyebrow quizzically, as their current situation seemed very similar to their first few meetings. Before he had developed a sufficient amount of emotion to admit he cared for her, prior to his feelings having developed further into something much deeper. He had yet to experience the fruits of the emotion, but knew that being in her presence had become one of them.

Her blue eyes were firm over his own, awaiting his response.

He merely rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to see you."

Her heart palpitated wildly.

"Is that wrong?" he asked curiously as he noticed the strain in her impassive features.

She bit her lip tentatively as she shook her head and hid her face behind her fringe as she tilted her head forward. He smiled at her sudden reaction and reached forward, taking a hold of her hand to continue leading her down the hall. She followed reassured.

Cyan looked at the back of his head as they walked hurriedly down the hall, as if not to get seen by the others. "Stark," she called quietly. "I haven't grown tired of this."

He turned his head slightly to face her.

She nodded confidently. "And I'm sure I would never grow weary even if the boundaries keeping us apart were to grow beyond our reach, I would persistently go past them as you have over these."

Stark stopped suddenly, turning and taking her small form in his. Enveloping her in a strong, yet warm embrace to appreciate the closure she had given to him.

Cyan gingerly wrapped her own arms around his waist, enjoying the silence that encased their opaque setting. Closing her eyes and breathing in his scent as her heart beat against her chest, she felt at ease. Once again.

_Waiting for the dead to return is a lot worse than having died. The disparity between the two fates is the pain which confounds us all. But during his final moments, the only thoughts he couldn't spare from the fate he had suffered were those of her saddened face and the regret of a promise unfulfilled. _

_She must have broken beyond repair in her wait, but alas, unbeknownst to her, she had been given an ultimatum._


	30. Strange Comfort

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Strange Comfort

_Underneath the starless sky, I watched the flowers bloom._

Stark had taken her back to his room where he plopped down on his bed, heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. As she stood there watching, feeling her previous confession gone to waste by his lethargic nature, she unwillingly took a seat on the ground besides him. She crossed her legs and placed her hands over her knees. She leaned back against the pillows, thinking of nothing in particular. Her heart had raced, it skipped beats, her face had gotten warm on various occasions and everything felt like an experience to her. A whirl of firsts in her life had happened within Las Noches and though it was hard to admit at times, Stark had been the one to help her with it all.

She bit her lip and listened to his breathing through the silence.

"It's eerily quiet, don't you think?" she asked, looking at him.

Stark opened one of his eyes to regard her. "You're thinking too much into it." He rolled onto his side and placed a hand over her head. "Nothing should be happening…_yet_."

"Because of the human girl, right?"

He gave a curt nod and closed his eye.

Cyan turned her attention back to the tiling and leaned further back, feeling his fingers run through her hair.

"Is there something strange about me?" she asked unconsciously.

Stark smirked at her inquiry. "Something strange?"

She nodded her head.

"You talk too much." He sounded nonchalant.

Cyan turned around to face him with a glare. "That's not what I meant."

He stared down at her with a firm gaze as he propped himself up. "Then, what did you mean?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged her shoulders, turning her body and leaning against the splay of pillows beneath him. "Something…_weird_," she replied, serious. "_I feel strange_."

Stark seemed amused by her questions and she felt the embarrassment tinge her cheeks as she looked up at him. But the amusement in his eyes was short-lived as he recalled a painful memory. The days he had spent without her around were filled with unrelenting nightmares and he understood that reality was just waiting to walk through obscurity.

He reached for her without answering her questioned, even though it bothered her she felt at ease as he pulled her body over his. He held her face in place as he moved upward to kiss her lips. Falling into the feeling, she kissed him back tentatively.

She pulled away from him and looked at him with a softened expression. Her heart palpitated with earnest joy. "When this is over," she whispered. "Let's meet again."

"Let's," he said, closing his eyes as her wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down against his chest.

She smiled as she lay against him comfortably. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He rubbed her back slowly for a while, making her relax her tense muscles and fall into sleep.

* * *

When Stark opened his eyes after falling asleep, he looked down to see pink hair splayed all around her form. Her left arm was draped across his torso and her eyes were closed. But what surprised him the most was the large smile across her lips. He pushed back strands of her hair to reveal her serene expression and moved his hand over hers, feeling the smoothness of her skin.

Cyan began to stir as he shifted slightly and looked up to face him through half-lidded eyes.

"Are you waking up already?"

She shook her head and nuzzled up against him, tightening her grip against his body. "I'm too tired to wake up."

He stared at her for a while before chuckling. It was the first time he had ever seen her react that way. She was usually the one pestering him to stay awake.

He pulled himself up to a seat, leaving her lying down next to him. He rubbed his eyes and yawned noisily. He dropped his hand over her hip, causing her to jolt. She looked at him and let out a yawn.

"Is this some sort of joke…?" she whispered incoherently.

He flicked her nose with his finger, causing her to groan, irritated.

"How does it feel on the other end?" he asked with a smirk.

"No comment," she replied, sitting up with another yawn.

"Not sleepy anymore?"

Cyan shrugged her shoulders, reached for him and grabbed him by the collar. "You make a wonderful pillow, Stark," she stated, pulling him back down to the bed and straddling him.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

She leaned forward wordlessly with both hands gripping onto his collar. She kissed his lips while tugging on his jacket.

He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, but she moved away upon contact.

"I'm tired," she whispered, pushing his hands off her. She smirked and flopped down beside him, nuzzling against his body with her eyes closed.

He sighed. "You really are horrible."

* * *

_It felt like my perceptions had gone astray, but I knew I had forgotten something too important to disregard. Should I pursue it? Or should I wallow in my own..._

She bolted out of place, a splitting headache plaguing her as she hit the ground harshly. Her eyes wandered around the room desperately, feeling the unfamiliarity around her, frightening her as she listened close to the sound of snoring. She lifted her gaze, scrambling off the ground, noticing someone lying on a bulk of pillows. Her hands patted her body, in search of her sword, but it wasn't with her. She turned her face, hearing a distant voice call out to her and found her zanpakutō standing against the wall. She walked towards it quietly, completely unaware of her actions while a whirl of questions inundated her, and took it.

She felt strange within those four walls, the ambience was dreary and her head ached when she tried to remember where she was or how she got there. Immediately after retrieving her sword, she shuffled out the door, letting it hit hard against the wall.

Her eyes met with long unrecognizable walkways, white walls, and the familiar smell of blood. She looked down at her wardrobe, she was wearing something completely different than she recalled, but she continued running looking for _him_ without asking questions. He had all the answers. That was the only thing she was sure of. Everything else may have been a figment of her imagination.

The raven-haired woman stopped abruptly at an intersection, looking down each hall, confused as to which side she should take. She tightened her grip around her zanpakutō and heard the distant click of heels against the floor echoed loudly behind her. She felt a familiar tingling fill her body and closed her eyes while licking her lips, allowing her thirst for blood shine through.

"Kitamura Sayomi," she called clearly, reaching for the hilt of her sword and coiling her fingers against it.

The steps stopped as she turned around to face a pink-haired woman with a confused look on her face. "Who are you?" she asked, taking a sudden step back.

The pale-skinned woman smirked, drawing her sword from its sheath. "I remember now."

_I willfully disguised deception and fell prey to his gentle smiles and promises. He said I'd see you again…but I would have to kill __**her**__._

* * *

**Extra**

She was a delicate beauty among women, with hair as pale as powder and eyes that shone brightly beneath the shadow of her fringe. She smiled effortlessly and warmed everyone's heart, but deep down inside, behind false smiles and clamoring outbursts – Kitamura Sayomi despised them all. She was of no importance in Soul Society and was often overshadowed by a woman said to be as deadly as poison, who became the only living contradiction in her perfectly molded life. Facing constant comparisons, even from her good willed cousin, a captain of the Gotei 13, she felt burdened by their expectations. How long could she keep up her smiles and bear with the selflessness?

Standing against the red wooded overpass, she watched the koi swim passively in the pond. Her hands were curled against the railing as she remembered the words her friends had been saying, things about that idiot girl. They said she had killed many without remorse before she joined the Gotei 13, but rumor had it that Captain Aizen was the one obscuring her past. When time washed by like an overflowing current, she almost knew that man had some hidden agenda. No one questioned him because he was of a calm, gentle nature, but if the rumors about that tart were real…_he would be hiding something_.

"Ah, Sayomi-chan, there you are?" a voice called out to her.

Sayomi lifted her gaze and watched as the long-haired captain of Eight Division approached her, his bespectacled lieutenant following close behind with a stern look over her features. She told herself to perk up and smiled instantly, pushing both hands behind her back as she faced him. "Captain Kyoraku, what brings you here?"

"Just a stroll," he replied with a smile. "You seem a bit pensive, Sayomi-chan. I've never seen you like that in a while."

She playfully pushed him. "Are you saying I'm an airhead?" she asked defensively.

He shook his head. "Nothing like that, you're just always happy."

She nodded slowly, but before she could answer she caught wind of a familiar reiatsu.

"Ah, Tsubaki-chan!" the man called frivolously as a petite woman landed in the pond carrying her sword in her hand. "Good morning!"

She lifted her gaze, looking at the captain and his lieutenant before giving Sayomi an impassive stare. "Mornin'," she said, her voice was a meek whisper before she shunpo'd out of the water.

Sayomi glared at the area where she had stepped, feeling the wrath just begging to burst forth and strangle that girl.

"Tsubaki-chan belongs to Third Division, right?" he asked aloud, rubbing his chin.

"Yes, she's their third seat," his lieutenant answered.

"Such a hard working girl, aint she?"

"I'm sure she was out there doing something suspicious," Sayomi accused, bothered by the topic in general. People should stop assuming she's a good willed child; they should hate her instead for being such an outcast. The girl was strange to begin with, the fact that she kept to herself and never made eye contact added onto the eccentricity.

Captain Kyoraku placed a hand over her shoulder. "Now, now, there's not need to say that," he said. "Some people prefer isolation; she's just one of those. Don't be too harsh on her, Sayomi-chan."

Having lost her composure, she stood in her place. If Captain Kyoraku and Lieutenant Ise weren't present, she would have done something to bother that girl. She hated her, almost as bad as she abhorred everyone else. But she was an exception.

_Upon the wilting flowers…we fight for our survival._


	31. Hourglass, End

Chapter Thirty: Hourglass

_He gave me the sands of time and I gathered enough courage to move through the inconsistencies of my troubled world – I watched him turn the hourglass over, tapping the top and looking at me. "When the last grain of sand drops, you will no longer be of use," he said tentatively. "But, before you can acknowledge the existence of your shinigami past or hear the desperate cry of your zanpakutō…you will breathe your last breath."_

As gently as his fingers traced the outline of her body, and the breath had been extinguished from her lungs, her mind had entered nirvana. She felt his lips linger against the nook of her neck and his teeth graze her shoulder, eliciting a pleasured moan from her lips. He slowed his pace as he pushed her leg closer to her body and moved his hand further down, feeling her tepid skin beneath his fingertips. He leaned forward, whispering huskily into her ear and she nodded in response, initiating a passionate kiss.

While arching her back, her body trembled anxiously beneath his as he continued, hands on her hips gripping tightly to her body steadying his pace, listening to her quiet moans against the hollow of his neck.

Her lips were pressed against the nook of his neck sucking against his hot skin as her fingers twisted in his brown hair. He groaned in anticipation unable to keep his mind from going blank in the throes of pleasure. How easy and familiar the constricting muscles of her womanhood felt over him and the murmurs which fell from her lips like the quiet whisper of the wind.

He accommodated her beneath her, making sure she enjoyed every bit of it and watched her face twist in gratification. Occasionally draping her arm over her face as she opened her mouth breathing haggardly, feeling the burning in the pit of her stomach and the ache welling up within her – all reason had left her body.

What had just spawned from a single kiss seemed so…

It felt so bittersweet.

Just like everything around them.

Even as her nails dug into his back, holding his body against her own to assure herself he wouldn't leave without taking her along. But dwindling on that thought, she wondered if she would allow him to leave her behind for any reason. Her loyalties lied elsewhere which made her doubt her own affection for him, but there was the familiarity that sparked between them…making her believe there was so much more to them than that simple meeting months ago.

With her arms wrapped around his body and his face nuzzled besides her, she couldn't help but wonder – _how long ago has it been since we first met?_ Her eyes were glazed as she felt his hand pull her face upward. She stared at him, trying to catch her breath and felt his lips against her own just before she closed her eyes, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth playfully.

She felt him smirk as best as he could and reached down with his hand, outlining her figure before pushing into her harder forcing her to let go, his body shuddered in response as well.

"Cheater," she called in a sultry tone.

"You started it, don't complain."

"And your seduction had nothing to do with this?"

"I might like you better quiet."

"I'm done being quiet, Stark."

He chuckled lightly. "Then don't be."

He shifted a bit before picking up where he left off, pulling both of her hands from his back and holding them down above her head.

"You're cheating again," she complained between breaths.

"You're making my back bleed," he replied straightly, thrusting into her harder.

"And you like it," she whispered, biting his lower lip.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her claim and simply continued his ministrations, listening to her moans and holding her shivering body.

The night continued until they had reached the peak of passion and eventually took the rest of the time to fall asleep. Cyan was the last to sleep, finding it hard to fall into slumber after she started feeling worse than she had when Stark had found her.

She moved closer to him, letting him embrace her in his warmth. _I've reached my limit…I cannot stay here._

* * *

_I realized nothing would bloom in a desecrated garden, but I was sure that if I would work harder, against my body's will something will sprout from the crimson-coated soil. Just as like he had said, "Work as best in your ability and he will return to you." Can I kill a person and have him back? No. And if I increase the number, would that matter? It would not. If I massacre as many people as I possibly can, letting my thirst for blood get the best of me – will he smile at me? Or must I look upon our leader and ask for a miracle, treating him to be the God I so long to destroy for taking his life from me?_

_I often wondered how much blood would I be asked to shed…before he enlightened me. I'll oblige without complaint, but I needed help. I needed it more than I wanted to live and breathe this oxygen. I wanted to abandon my attachment and find something other than bloodshed to ease my sorrows. But how can I be different when everyone's views of me are the same? I am the monster which people acknowledge. To not be destroyed by my talons crusted with crimson or be torn limb by limb with this blade that overwhelms them with just its presence – they will speak to me. _

_He kindly smiles and says I do not belong. Whether I willed it or not, there is no place for me in this world and I agree. I cannot amount to anything if I am nothing to start._

_With a downcast gaze and a sword embraced tightly against my chest, I buried my sorrows and looked back to his demure expression. _

_"Okay," I began softly, my eyes meeting his for a short second. "I will comply with your plan and serve you well until I am no longer of use."_

_A smile spreads across his lips, "Good girl."_

* * *

It had been approximately five hours since she left Stark's room feeling a bit delirious as she made her way back to her tower to rest a bit longer without burdening her lover. He had done enough to please her for the while, awarding her a sense of comfort and a promise she had waited on when they first started spending time with one another. Whether he kept it or not didn't matter – if they died during the war and never met again – so long as he had said yes to her, nothing else was relevant. The feelings welling up inside of her were warm and bittersweet, but the mere thought of them made her smile even though there was a tinge of sadness mixed in between.

The smiled remained on her face until she sensed an alarming reiatsu struggling to remain contained near the intersection. Curiously, Cyan made her way towards that junction while listening to the loud click of her heels against the floor and the echo that resounded through the long white walkways. The person's reiatsu flared wildly before it found a certain level of suppression and when she made a sharp turn, she stopped in the middle of the hall.

A raven-haired woman, whose hair fell just past her waist, wearing a loose white suit looking as lost as they came was standing in the center of the crossroads linking the Espada's towers to the other side of the palace. The unfamiliar woman stood in place for a good while without moving an inch.

Cyan took a few steps forward, finally noticing the smaller woman move. She whipped around, her hair slapping against her face. She had her hand coiled over the hilt of her sword and an alarming smirk on her face when her hazel-colored eyes met with Cyan's.

"Kitamura Sayomi," the woman called clearly.

_She called me by that name…_

Cyan took a step back precariously, holding her hand over her pink-hilted blade. She was confused by the woman. "Who are you?"

The woman licked her lips like an animal savoring its prey seconds before lunging themselves forward to attack; her eyes were locked on her form with a dangerous glare, even her stance seemed barbaric. "I remember now."

When the dark-haired woman disappeared, Cyan felt her stomach sink in trepidation and just seconds before the woman's sword grazed her skin, she drew her sword to stop it. Both blades clashed loudly, the noise resounding down both halls.

"Where is he?" the woman asked.

Cyan's eyes widened as the woman shunpo'd behind her to attack her once again, she whipped around in time to counter and attack back, but her attacks wouldn't relent. She was unable to understand why she was even in such a strange situation, but at the same time had to admit it was very reminiscent of an encounter she had years ago. Too far back – a memory she preferably suppressed because its mere existence humiliated her. She was weak that time ago, but to feel the same sort of familiarity between a fight against a stranger was too much for her to bear.

Cyan focused on the woman's movements as unpredictable as they were. Her weakness was that she had no form in combat; she never trained herself well enough to hone the amount of physical strength on her side and use it for things other than increasing the weight behind a swing. She looked her over searching for a mask on her, just in case her deductions were wrong and found nothing, but the red marks showing over her pale skin that lit a fire inside of her.

"Who are you?" Cyan asked again.

"Tsubaki," she replied lightly. "Make dues by not forgetting, you monster."

Another harsh swing from above and in order to avoid it fell back to the floor, lifting both feet and kicking Tsubaki against her stomach. She sent her flying back while she scrambled to her feet, but without ever hitting the ground she vanished once more and appeared inches from her face. Cyan lifted her sword to her face, blocking the brunt of Tsubaki's attack, hearing her wrist pop slightly from the insignificant force.

She managed a groan as she shuffled back, trying to regain her composure. _She's too strong. I won't be able to win._

Cyan blocked as well as she could, feeling Tsubaki's hits adjust as the minutes ticked by progressively showing her dexterity with her blade making the future look bland on her end. If things continued as they were, she would die. It was imminent, obvious, and she hoped someone would come help her. Though she had willingly taken the challenge believing she could win.

She shifted her body the wrong way when Tsubaki cornered her into a wall and inhaled sharply as she felt the woman's blade slice through her arm. Cyan retaliated with a quick upward swing managing to slice a few strands of the woman's hair as the blood poured down from her arm like a small stream. It burned and ached more than she had ever been harmed in the span of her lifetime. And she was well aware if she had not shifted during contact, her arm would have been sliced off.

Even so, her arm is limp and she held it tightly feeling the trickle of blood run down the length of her arm. She no longer trusted her own ability to survive the battle and turned to escape, running away hearing Tsubaki laugh at her attempts. There was no compassion in the woman's actions and she knew that for some reason she needed to be killed in order for her to relent. Aizen had never mentioned she would be in that sort of trouble…or maybe…_this is his way of getting rid of me._

She felt Tsubaki's presence behind her in the blink of an eye and could have sworn the sword was mere inches from slashing her across the back as she tripped onto the floor with her eyes shut tightly. She waited, one second…two…even three, but the hit was never delivered.

Cyan turned back to see Stark standing in front of her fallen body, having stopped Tsubaki's sword with his own. He regarded her shortly before turning attention back to the unfamiliar woman. Cyan watched Tsubaki falter, her eyes wavering when they looked at him and her lips trembling to speak, but the words were jammed in her vocal cords making her unable. The ambience intensified and Tsubaki moved away from Stark.

"Who are you?" Stark asked. "I've never seen you before."

Tsubaki stuttered while Cyan took the time to stand from her puddle of blood, using her sword to balance her tired limbs.

"Y-you – where is A-Aizen?" she barely managed to ask, her face full of shock and apprehension.

Cyan stepped forward before Stark could answer, holding her arm tightly, wincing at her own touch. "I'll kill you, Himeko!"

Stark lifts his arm up to stop her, glancing at her. "Was she the one who did this to you?"

"Don't interfere," Cyan responded. "This is my fight."

"I'll take care of Himeko."

While their argument begins, Tsubaki took more than a few steps back so that she was back at the intersection between the different towers. Her hands clasp over her head and her eyes were closed tightly.

Cyan wanted to take advantage of the situation, take her down while she's suffering the repercussions of her situation, but Stark stopped her once more. "Let me go, I'll kill her!"

"There is no reason for you to fight, leave," he stated. "I'll take her to Aizen."

"What if she wants to kill him? You'll only be helping her!" she shouted adamantly. "I know she wants to…it's why she attacked me."

"What's this voice?" Tsubaki questioned, confused. "Who's s-speaking to me?" She continued moving back, further down the hall stumbling as she went with her sword dangling between her fingers. "I-I don't understand."

Their attention was drawn back to her, sensing the sudden rise of her reiatsu overwhelm the room. It was releasing itself from the latches of its confinement, literally shaking the walls with the pressure. But only Cyan had felt the results, falling to her knees from the weight of it, feeling it crush over her back and she dropped her pink-hilted sword.

"Leave, Cy—"

Stark cut himself off the scene unfolding before him felt very reminiscent to the time Cyan had been challenged by Nnoitra in the desert, the black-haired woman's reiatsu skyrocketed as she held her sword up. Her features had calmed and her lips parted slightly, a smile gracing them.

Her cold eyes met his and he felt a thump in his chest as he continued trying to hold back Cyan.

She shifted the sword, turning it upside down and loosened her grip slowly until it merely brushed against her fingertips. "Look," she called. "Sakebi no Banshii."

The room was consumed by her reiatsu, the walls were covered in cracks that continued on and on further than their eyes could see as the sword's tip stabbed itself against the ground. It changed shape slightly, to a deformed version of the blade with jagged knives protruding from the blade itself and it stood in its all its graces before she latched onto it, the reiatsu she had just release being absorbed by the blade.

It gave out a light glow as it sucked in the last of drop of her power and she drugged it across the floor, leaving the path to crumble beneath it. When she reached her other hand onto the blade, in one swift movement she swung it upward – "Himei!"

The blast released from her sword would have destroyed the entire hall and beyond, possibly the entire floor to his tower, but because Cyan was on the ground almost unconscious, he could not allow her to attack.

Cyan watched Stark sonido before her eyes, appearing behind Tsubaki in the blink of an eye his sword to his left covered in blood. She looked back to the woman whose sword shattered in her hands before a large wound appeared over her torso; the blood spurted everywhere in front of her.

"Stark!" Cyan called loudly.

Tsubaki's eyes widened and she turned her head to face him. "C-Coyote Stark?" she whispered so lowly her call only reached his ears. Her vision blurred but a smile appeared over her face and he dared not turn back. "I—"

Cyan had pulled herself from the ground and rushed past the woman's falling form, grabbing a hold of him. Tsubaki fell to the floor hard among the broken pieces of her zanpakutō, and Cyan watched the life leave her eyes.

A smile spread across her face though she felt Stark stiffen beside her.

After they lapsed into silence, he turned to her with a strange look on his face, sheathing his sword. "Are you okay, Cyan?"

The pink-haired woman nodded her head. "Thank you for saving me."

"Let's get your arm checked."

"I'll go," she said quickly.

He nodded in silence. "Hurry…"

She nodded and rushed down the hall, leaving him alone with the body of the woman he had killed. When he could no longer hear the click of her heels, he finally turned around to see the dark-haired woman whose smile never faded, but the life was no longer present in her expression.

He inched closer and closer and closer until he was standing next to her. He crouched down, pulling the glove from his left hand and reaching over to touch her skin. He shut his eyes tightly feeling something ache inside his chest. He buried his face into his other hand unable to shake the feeling that was slowly creeping over his being. It was overpowering him, so much that he had failed to notice Lilinette's presence.

The green-haired girl stood next to him by the time he looked up and when he did, he saw a tear fall from her face.

"Lilinette…"

"…"

She didn't speak or attempt to wipe away the tears which only added so much more to his shock. And without needing anyone to tell him what he had just happened…he knew.

He had listened to Aizen's order, the one which he had tried so hard to deny, and killed…

_He killed her…_

And he remembered.

Even if it was a little bit. He recalled a distant memory, no, more than one. She was in them all. Smiling or silent, but present and living. The strange connection from the start was meant to be there. The undeniable comfort was there for a reason.

"Why…?" Lilinette asked.

_She pulled away from him and looked at him with a softened expression. Her heart palpitated with earnest joy. "When this is over," she whispered. "Let's meet again."_

_"Let's," he said, closing his eyes as her wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down against his chest. _

_She smiled as she lay against him comfortably. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He rubbed her back slowly for a while, making her relax her tense muscles and fall into sleep._

Stark got up, pulling back on his white glove once he felt her skin lose its warmth. "Let's go Lilinette."

Lilinette complied, following his lead even though she sensed the sadness, but they were used to it. Being alone. Now they returned to their niche, together…_alone…_forever.

* * *

Epilogue

**Fifty Years Later…**

In a lapse of momentary peace, the world assembles slowly after deteriorating inconsiderably before his widened eyes. Expecting the imminent despair that may have awaited him in Hell, the dark-haired man awakens to the sleek sound of a ceiling fan, spinning lethargically at a broken pace. It spins at a slow pace, threatening to fall off the thin strand that held it up; regardless of that piece of knowledge, his mind sternly told him that it wouldn't snap.

His eyes opened slightly, with the grogginess of sleep still weighing over his body, stared listlessly at the broken movements of his ceiling fan. He never bothered to fix it, believing someday it would fall on him, and therefore never need repair. He lifted a heavy arm over his face, draping it across his vision to avoid the strain of the heavy summer rays that fell through the parted curtains of his room.

The heat of summer etched in his being, sweat running its course through his entire body. His hair stuck closely to his sharp facial features, warming his body more than necessary. He turned his head in the direction his clock was, a gift he received during a Christmas exchange from a woman who told him he needed a watch to make sure he was early to work. The way she spoke to him, such a friendly tone made his face warm, or it might have to do with the fact that she was an attractive woman to start. He thanked her properly, feeling left out with the fact that the gift he had gotten didn't have witty reasoning.

Things like that were difficult to avoid. He disliked doing more than necessary, enjoyed afternoon naps, and eating his poor-excuse of a dinner every evening – quite a different view of life compared to his frivolous co-workers who would much rather spend time going to blind dates in order to get married. That stage of life never appealed to him, seemed bothersome – that and the thought of finding a woman who wouldn't rant about his lifestyle, would prove difficult.

The alarm set off as it hit the marker: 6:30AM. The cyan blue numbers blinked with each sound created, instilling some annoyance in him. He pulled his arm from his face and sighed, reluctant to start the day. His long vacation was over; it was time to get back to work.

He rolled over, pulling his heavy body off the rickety mattress and stood up. Stretching out widely and letting out a loud yawn, he crossed his bedroom horizontally towards the door sitting on the other corner. He opened it carelessly, noting the hinging was growing in frailty. To him, that meant another problem within the small apartment he'd have to deal with. More work stacking up around him, things that shouldn't have mattered, but did.

A short while, around ten minutes, after taking care of his daily ablutions came the final minutes as he considered eating breakfast. Nothing in his refrigerator seemed edible enough to cause his stomach to grumble. Cooking with such a short amount of time to make amends for anything burnt wasn't something he wanted to do. He wondered if he ever wanted to do anything. If he thought it thoroughly, his head came up blank.

He closed the refrigerator door and left the quaint kitchen space, walking back towards the narrow hallway, kicking away the clothing lying on the ground to the side. Getting dressed, wearing the proper attire, the routine every morning was boring.

_How boring._

* * *

The train ride was short as far as he was concerned. He slept throughout the entire ride and woke up ten minutes after his stop. He missed it. That alone meant he would be late to work. He got out of his seat, the teenagers in school uniforms were all crowding around the exit. He yawned once more and walked up behind the crowd, waiting for it to thin a bit before stepping out.

He left the train station, deciding to walk the rest of the way instead of waiting for the next train. Doing things either way would result in the same tardiness, yet walking – disregarding the summer heat – and its subtle breezes may do him some good.

The streets were bustling with people, but he maintained a steady pace as he crossed the street, while glancing around the different shops in the market. His eyes continued wandering until they met with a green-haired girl rushing out of a shop with a flower vase. A youthful face and bright colored eyes – she looked familiar, but when she glanced over, he couldn't remember. He felt a connection, but the more thought he put into it, the less he recalled.

"What are you looking at, pervert?"

He blinked, realizing he was standing in front of the teenage girl. Her hands were placed on her hips and a sharp glare in her eyes.

"Sorry," he managed. He spaced out after staring too long, but there was something more to this situation than the misplaced comfort and strangeness.

"Why don't you buy some flowers for your girlfriend instead of just gawking at the help?" the girl stated, nudging him harshly.

He didn't answer, simply watched her storm back inside, mumbling a whirl of obscenities that made their way to his ears.

He sighed, but entered the flower shop. Strong scents ventured into his nostrils, alerting all his senses. Flowers for his girlfriend she says, the ideas seemed comical. He looked around the small shop, the teenage girl out of sight, and a bored-looking male at the counter, running his long bony fingers along the countertop. The man's eyes met with Stark's and he rolled them in disgust, turning his face away as he made his way to the other room.

Stark heard the man's grumbling and soon after, he shoved a blond-haired teen out.

"You do it; I'm tired of this bullshit!" he shouted.

"What the hell are you doing?" The familiar shout of the girl came to his ears as he looked around the flowers.

"I'm changing! Get out, ya damn pervert!" The first man ordered.

"Hime-chan! Nnoitra's being an ass!" the blond girl stressed loudly. "He's dumping all the work on Tesla!"

A loud smash resonated through the store.

Tesla ran into the back room, leaving the counter unattended and the entire store was full of noises.

Stark looked up from the white anemones he was staring at, finding some familiarity in everything. He reached forward, grabbing a hold of it and walking towards the counter. He was already inside the store, instead of turning to leave while everyone else was distracted, he decided to buy that white anemone. He walked towards the counter, the voices inside as clear as day, but he didn't eavesdrop. Instead, he leaned against the counter and waited patiently for someone to help him at the counter.

"Hey come back here!"

"Sorry about the wait, I'll help you."

He looked up, his eyes meeting with a pair of onyx eyes. He blinked, the familiarity effect setting in once more. Raven black hair that reached past her shoulders in curls and a fringe that stopped before her eyelashes. The impression she would have normally made was lessened by the fact that she was covered in blood.

As if disregarding that fact, she maintained her lips upturn in a sweet smile as she stared at him.

"What's that fuckin' idiot doing?" Nnoitra growled. "She's ruining business like that. He'll turn away. Do something about it, ya brat!"

"Don't touch me!"

The blond teen walked out from the back room, huffing disapprovingly. She reached for the dark-haired clerk, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her along with her to the back room.

"Lilinette!" she yelped.

Stark cleared his throat, glancing around the place for the nearest clock. When he found it dangling off the wall, he realized it was broken and blinking the same time repeatedly. He was already late, checking the time would make him get to work faster.

"At least clean yourself up, Himeko!"

Lilinette, Himeko, Nnoitra, Tesla – they were familiar names, and their faces were recognizable, but he couldn't think of the reason.

A splash of water followed and angrier grumbling. His eyes were fixed on the doorway, waiting for someone to walk out and when Himeko did, his heart palpitated excitedly. After she closed the door, she made her way towards him, dripping with water. She stood behind the counter and looked down at the single flower.

Her eyes met his again. "Is that all?" she asked softly.

He nodded, moving away from the counter and standing up straight. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, wondering what kind of feelings coursed through his body. He watched her as she stared listlessly at the flower, reaching her small hand towards it, trembling.

She shook her head and looked at him. "You can have it."

"What?" he queried.

She didn't look up at him. "It's just one flower, we're not losing—"

"One flower?" The door swung open, revealing Lilinette as she stomped over. "That's costing you, so pay up." She pushed Himeko out of the way and offered her hand to Stark.

He dug into his pockets, pulling out a bill and placing it there. She stuffed it in a box and gave him his change. "I hope your girlfriend likes it, even though you're such a cheapskate," Lilinette stated sternly.

"Lily—"

She shot a glare at the taller woman besides her, causing Himeko to fret.

Stark took the flower and placed it in front of Himeko. The two women lapsed in momentary silence; Himeko blushed madly as she stared back at him. "I don't have a girlfriend," he remarked.

Lilinette glared. "You takin' pity on her, pervert, even after you gawked at me in the front of the store?" She turned to Himeko. "Don't do it, he's shameless…just another old man hitting on anything that walks. Kinda like Nnoitra…except subtle."

Every insult was like a new stab wound, but he didn't take it harshly. "I was only wondering why you two were so familiar," he clarified.

"Familiar, we don't know you."

"I'm Stark."

Lilinette stared at him incredulously before turning to Himeko. "Hey, don't you write about someone named Stark in your diary?"

She nudged Himeko, who turned beet red at the revelation and fumbled for words. Every word previously spoken was becoming more and more familiar while the closeness with the two girls seemed to grow comforting.

"I—I—"

"Yeah, I think the short story ended tragically, geez for an airhead you got quite the imagination." Lilinette shook her head, laughing at Himeko's expression and made her way towards the back door.

"Cyan…"

Himeko looked at him, surprised by the words he uttered, and he reached for her face, clasping his palm against her round cheeks. "Himeko," he whispered, a small smile appearing on his face. He recognized it all, finally.

At last, he was given another chance to pick up the pieces of her true self.

No more illusions, no more drastic consequences, no other world to worry about – simply put, they were humans and allowed to live. No longer a fools…

**- The End -  
**

"Pervert." Himeko turned on her heel and walked back into the other room, leaving Stark standing there shocked as the mocking laughter of Lilinette ventured into his ears.

* * *

- That last line is there for…amusement purposes. Also, the epilogue features the idea of having been reborn after death…and as clichéd as it was…it was my way of including a happy ending within a tragic one. They will meet again in fifty years.

- It was hinted from the start that Cyan wasn't very normal…things that included her having to get used to "fighting as an Arrancar" and the fact that she was banned from using her Resurrección. Even Stark had perceived the possibility of it, but he tied it to the idea of her not being real…which happened in "A New Language". So there were plenty of offhanded clues scattered around the story.

- I took advantage of the fact that everyone was under Aizen's illusion and even she wasn't spared. The only person that may have seen her normally was Orihime when she first met her…and I may or may have not hinted it. (I don't recall).

- The real Sayomi was Renna and she was hidden from everyone until the time was right.

- The Italicized excerpts pertain to Himeko, Stark, and Sayomi's past memories which means they were somehow laced together. And although my story Masquerade spawned from the first few…it deviates from them entirely from it having no relation to them.

- Though I started this story when it hadn't been revealed that Stark and Lilinette was the same person…I tried my best to try to…make it known towards the end because I liked the idea. My portrayal was having Lilinette cry while Stark only felt deep sadness – that is all.

- On with the minor details. After Cyan's death, Nnoitra got back his rank and most likely laughed to death knowing Stark killed her. From then on, everything else follows canon. So…Nnoitra dies and…similarly Stark.

- **Sakebi no Banshii **- Screaming Banshee, **Himei **- Cry. (Her zanpakuto naturally absorbs reiatsu and throws it back with more force, that's the basic ability with the call Himei, of course.). The name for her supposed Resurrection was "Llorona" because I always liked listening to the creepy story on said legend and needed something fitting of Sakebi no Banshii and considering the Llorona in Mexican legends is known to be roaming around crying for her children. Very fun in my opinion. :DI thought it was fitting...but dunno.

* * *

**x L i l i m:**

I was very stuck for a long while on how to actually make it happily tragic ending because I could only think of the tragic aspect of it and couldn't quite figure out how to make it…happy. And the epilogue…I was close to omitting it, until I realized I had written that shot one-shot and somehow it worked to further lighten up the mood, regardless of it being a bit clichéd. So, that's all I got. :D Also, I apologize for the mistakes you may run into. I found myself snoozing off after pulling an all-nighter and thinking I could still edit. I'll revise it once I get some sleep.

Aside from that...

This concludes the long awaited end. It may or may not measure up, but overall, I'm thankful to everyone who has read, stuck around from the beginning to end (even though it sucked for a good while) and to all the reviews which had always kept me going even when I felt like giving up. Many thanks to you all (silent readers included, you're awesome too).

I Exist - one-shot prequel available as Ch. 32. :) Enjoy.


	32. Extra: I Exist

**I EXIST**

_There are no masks here_

_I cannot hide_

_The world is so different_

_But I can walk by_

_He no longer exists in this place_

_I exist for him_

_I wanted to stay_

* * *

_A boy once lived, he walked alongside me and breathed the same strong metallic scents that followed, but he died. A long time ago, a woman killed him…someone I seek to kill._

The plan had been simple. Tsubaki Himeko had to vanish without a trace. Become invisible in the eyes of all Soul Society for when she was gone, no one would notice her disappearance. After years of having been underneath Aizen Sōsuke's tutelage, he finally told her that she was ready to carry out her share of his ploy. He would be killed two days from then, and she would clear Central 46 of its residents.

That had been her first test.

But she couldn't stop crying as the death count whizzed in her mind. She had killed plenty of times before. Long before she had become a shinigami, when she flitted through the streets with a bloody katana as a nameless warrior of the Seventy-Eighth District, when she had no humanity and lived as a monster. Everyone simply knew who she was by looking. No one really did approach her unless they wanted someone dead. And the shinigami had no control over those districts. She walked through the streets thoughtlessly, wishing that one day she would find someone who was willing to accompany her on her trek.

There was no one.

No one until _he_ appeared in her path. And she began getting in tune with her humanity. She had sworn to protect this young boy until she couldn't. Without him, she felt there was nothing she could do but continue killing as she had. It was why Aizen's offer seemed so tempting.

He allowed her to do as she wished—to kill whoever was necessary to further their plans. She stood by his side since the moment her only friend had been brutally murdered.

Regrettably, Himeko had started to feel and it was hindering her abilities. She recognized it the moment she swept through Central 46, blade at hand.

"If you kill another, will you cry?" Aizen asked.

Himeko reached upward with her arm, rubbing away the falling tears from her cheeks as they continued sliding from her eyes. Her vision was blurred and her heart heavy with apprehension. She never meant to kill them. He asked and she complied, they were orders and she obeyed. Disregarding his demands was out of the question and she did her best to stray away from displeasing him.

She tightened the grip on her weapon, hearing the last living person groaning in agony as they twitched in their seat.

"It seems you might have missed one," he said disapprovingly. "Finish him."

She nodded and walked towards the person, stepping over the cadavers of the others, the splash of crimson hitting her legs. She jumped towards the man as he slumped over, begging for mercy. She felt her eyes crying more, disapproving of her actions with some emotional revolt. She lifted her blade over her head.

His last words as he gazed upon her shadowed figure were negative, knowing she would not spare him. "You will die…w-worthless—" She lifted her foot over his head, slamming it down on him to keep him in place as she pushed her blade through his neck.

A final groan escaped his lips.

Himeko stifled a sob, clasping a hand over her mouth and pulling out the blade from the back of his neck. The tears dripped from her chin onto her sullied clothes.

_I've become a hideous monster. I'm horrible. _

Regardless of how many times she would tell herself, it was never enough for her to turn away from the game. She knew she would die if she would—immediately. He wouldn't allow her to live, which was the only thing she feared. Dying. Even if it was a part of life and she had brought it upon everyone, she was too much of a coward to accept it.

"You've done well, once again," he said.

She rubbed away a few more of her tears, but she felt she had stained her face with the blood on her hands.

"Thank you."

"There is no reason for you to cry, you're simply doing everyone a favor," he began. "How long ago had you been sentenced and confined by these—"

"I understand," she said, interrupting him thoughtlessly.

Sentenced and confined by Central 46 was just a piece of history she chose to forget. After all, she had been guiltless, but with Kitamura Sayomi placing the blame…there was no one around but her to take it. That had been her purpose for a long time. Sayomi was imperative to their plans. She had the information they sought. Pleasing the woman as means to acquiring it was a good way to go by, but she eventually had grown livid. She allowed her jealousy to get the better half of her, using that envy to ruin her. She hated the attention Himeko got from Aizen, and Himeko despised Sayomi for having killed her only friend.

There was only a silent hatred between them.

* * *

_"Good morning." _

_His eyes opened on the second day as she slid the rickety door shut behind her. He surveyed the room carefully before his blue-gray eyes met with hers._

_"Who are you?"_

_"I don't have a name, just call me onee-san," she said, smiling._

_He stared at her confused and averted his gaze. "Did you…?"_

_"Mm-hmm," she replied with a curt nod. "I don't think your wounds are healed completely, it's best to continue resting. I'll keep you safe." She paced about the beaten down home and left her katana leaning against the wall nearest to the entrance. She watched him exuberantly, her lips a tight line, but the happiness shown through her light-colored eyes. "Do you have a name?"_

_He blinked, exhausted as he stayed perfectly still over the draped noisy wooden floors. He contemplated it a while, eyes dancing with the light seeping through the aperture in the ceiling. "It's Stark."_

_A smile appeared over her lips at the sound of his voice and his eyes took in the sight. "Nice to meet you, Stark."_

Himeko's eyes snapped open, fingers coiled against her blade as she heard a voice at her side. She turned her face slightly to see Aizen standing only a few feet away from her, his eyes overlooking the overlapping roofs of Seireitei.

She realized nothing would bloom in a desecrated garden, but she was sure that if she worked harder, against her body's will something will sprout from the crimson-coated soil. Just as like he had said, "Work as best in your ability and he will return to you." _Can I kill a person and have him back? No. And if I increase the number, would that matter? It would not. If I massacre as many people as I possibly can, letting my thirst for blood get the best of me—will he smile at me? Or must I look upon our leader and ask for a miracle, treating him to be the God I so long to destroy for taking his life from me?_

She often wondered how much blood she would be asked to shed…before he enlightened her. She'll oblige without complaint, but she needed help. She needed it more than she wanted to live and breathe this oxygen. She wanted to abandon her attachment and find something other than bloodshed to ease her sorrows. But how can she be different when everyone's views of her are the same? _I am the monster which people acknowledge. To not be destroyed by my talons crusted with crimson or be torn limb by limb with this blade that overwhelms them with just its presence—they will speak to me._

He kindly smiled and said she does not belong. Whether she willed it or not, there is no place for her in this world and she can agree. She cannot amount to anything if she was nothing to start.

With a downcast gaze and a sword embraced tightly against her chest, she buried her sorrows and looked back to his demure expression.

"Okay," she began softly, her eyes meeting his for a short second. "I will comply with your plan and serve you well until I am no longer of use."

A smile spreads across his lips, "Good girl."

Upon their first meeting, Aizen said that he could bring back her dead friend. All she needed to do was use her sword for him instead of for herself. If it involved returning Stark to her, who had been stripped away, then she would do whatever it took.

She leaned back again, falling back into a centuries old memory of the time that she had cared for this boy more than anything in the world.

_She returned in the middle of the night, slipping into her home without making noise to disturb Stark, who she assumed was sleeping. Moonlight illuminated a good portion of the layout, allowing her to see where Stark was sprawled out over the floor with a thin blanket draped over his legs. He slept odd hours so he was up most of the morning while she was sleeping. She crept over to her place, her legs tired from all the ground she had covered throughout that day, and took a seat against the wall. Instead of setting aside her blade, she hugged it tightly to her chest, got cozy in that cramped space and closed her eyes._

_She drifted into slumber particularly fast. She was still alert of her surroundings, could sense and feel everything occurring outdoors. She was prone to attacks during nights, so she had always been a light sleeper—always alert and prepared. Nobody would catch her off guard in her territory. She had experienced that sort of troublesome situation various times; it explained the damage done to her house. When she found it, the small home was in tiptop shape considering where it was located. Seventy-Eight district, in the outskirts of the main streets, that's where it sat, around a few trees and flowerbeds. It was the perfect area for isolation. Someone like her needed that type of seclusion to avoid dragging in innocent people._

_There was movement before her, rousing her from sleep. Her eyes opened to a slit, strands of black hair sliding in front of her face to shield her vision slightly. She watched Stark moving about the floor, pushing his upper body from the ground with his hair a mess as his eyes searched the darkness. He turned in her direction._

_"Awake? Asleep?" he muttered, mostly to himself than her._

_"Awake," she answered._

_"I can never tell with you."_

_"Always awake," she said lightly. "I have to take care of you."_

_"Is it that dangerous for me to be near you?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Will I die?"_

_"No. I wouldn't let anyone harm you."_

_She closed her eyes once more, hearing the rough fabric of the blanket fall from his legs as he shifted onto a comfortable seat, or so she thought._

_"Oi, nee-san," he mumbled._

_"Yes?"_

_"Why don't you lie down?"_

_She remained silent and he didn't press onto the subject. He merely stood and crossed the room, plopping down at her side. He dropped the blanket over her head making her jolt at the feel of the fabric on her skin. She pushed it from her eyes and turned to him sitting at her side, leaning back with a deep sigh. _

_"At least cover yourself."_

_Her cheeks heated up and she hid behind her hands as he stared at her strangely._

He wouldn't return.

That reality frightened her.

* * *

_He gave me the sands of time and I gathered enough courage to move through the inconsistencies of my troubled world._

The rest happened quickly. She hardly remembered what followed Aizen's defection, only that Kitamura Sayomi had vanished as well and that no one even noticed her disappearance. She accomplished what was necessary of her and now, as Aizen had promised she could get her revenge. But there was something odd about having arrived to the cold, lonely world that was Hueco Mundo. It was a feeling that forced her to stay in place, asked her to not move a muscle as her clear eyes searched the empty expanse that lay before her. The strong winds whipped her long locks of black hair all around her face.

Footsteps approached her and she turned to see the mocking smile on Ichimaru Gin's face. "Cap'n Aizen wants ta see ya."

"Where is Sayomi?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he shook his head disapprovingly, and continued, "Sayomi-chan should be the least of yer worries right now."

Her eyes narrowed and she slipped past him, to reenter Las Noches and move through the long hallways. Since their arrival those long walkways had started filling with arrancar for Aizen's army. Every day there were more and more, rooms inside the palace were filling. She always made sure to avoid meeting any of them. She wasn't the least bit interested in them. She only wanted her long-awaited revenge and to continue serving under Aizen as she had sworn.

She slipped into the gargantuan room without so much as knocking and stood perfectly still before the large doors. In the center of the room there was a tall chair where Aizen had taken a seat.

"Himeko," he called knowingly. "I have a new proposition for you."

"Yes."

Her vision began blurring as she saw him take a stand and move closer to her, speaking words that she couldn't hear. She saw the glint of his zanpakutō as he had drawn it. She took a few stumbling steps away from him, her back hitting the doors and sinking to the ground.

A lingering thought appeared in her mind.

_I will not die here._

"I have bigger plans for you, Himeko," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "Your sacrifice is imperative; you understand that, don't you?"

"Yes, I understand."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Cyan de Imortell," called Aizen. "You are one of the few who have been given a second chance. If you listen to all orders accordingly, you may become more than just a vassal."

"Yes—" She tried to speak his name, feeling herself mouth the words, but she quickly retracted.

Her weary eyes met with calm, emotionless orbs as a hand curled over her neck, threatening to asphyxiate her if another slip occurred. She opened her mouth to apologize, but as she attempted at speaking coherent words, she was unable to make anything from the gurgling noise she made as she gasped for air.

He tightened his grip on her, causing her eyes to squint from the pain. "We've gone over this, Cyan de Imortell, you will refer to me as Aizen-sama," he said sternly, a threatening tone that caused chills to run down her spine.

An Arrancar was a Hollow who tore its mask off, born with the help of the Hōgyoku, an orb with abilities to dissolve the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow. The explanations given to me had happened long ago, before she was allowed to leave that dark cell. Every day, she waited expectantly in silence for someone to venture inside. Someone to talk to, even for just a little bit. About anything, she wasn't fussy.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," she managed breathlessly.

A malevolent smiled upturned in his lips as he pulled his hand from her neck, running it against the exposed skin of her neck. She flinched involuntarily. "Have you learned your purpose?"

_What more was there for me to learn? Other than the fact, my sacrifice would benefit him somehow._

"Yes, Aizen-sama, I have learned my purpose."

She watched him turn over a small hourglass, tapping its top as his gaze fell back to her with confidence. "When the last grain of sand drops, you will no longer be of use," he said tentatively. "But before you can acknowledge the existence of your shinigami past or hear the desperate cry of your zanpakutō…you will breathe your last breath."

His words frightened her as she held onto her zanpakutō, wishing and hoping to hear the familiar voice calling out to her. Instead, there was silence. A silent that washed through her body and instilled the fear further into the concaves of her mind—she wished to live, but there was no telling she would from then onwards.

She would live the rest of her life as an arrancar. That was the only purpose she had, henceforth. She understood that enough to acknowledge how easily the memories of her past began slipping through her mind's eye like a film. The minute she stepped out of that room, she had relinquished the name Tsubaki Himeko and embraced her new calling as Cyan de Imortell. The soft timbre of her zanpakutō warning her of the destruction to come was replaced by the sound of her heels against the ground. She no longer felt like a shinigami, she was a hollow who embraced higher power.

She allowed herself to fall into the moment.

And with time she had forgotten everything about her past self, everything that was once important meant nothing to her.

She had become a monster all over again, became the thing she hated most and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

Time worked monotonously, each second dragged on in a way that eternity could easily compare to it.

_Click._

_Clack._

_Click._

_Clack._

Cyan sauntered through the long halls, pacing herself, breathing easy as she felt uncomfortable in her own skin. Long, billowing pink hair caressed her naked shoulders, brushing over her bare back, the tips ticking her skin. She continued on her way until she stopped abruptly, hesitating about meeting with Aizen that evening. They had plenty to discuss about her role as an arrancar in his army, but every waking second meant forgetting something of importance.

She still remembered Himeko, a woman with long, dark tresses that could kill so swiftly it sent chills down her spine, but she couldn't acknowledge her.

She heard a door open and turned to see a man standing by with his eyes fixed on her form. Familiarity washed over her…she—

Her lips parted, eyes glinted with a heavy sadness, but instead of speaking she turned away, continuing to Aizen's tower.

The feeling remained.

Himeko still lived.

She existed, seeing that man was enough to shake her into remembrance, even if only for a second. He reminded her so much of that boy she couldn't protect, who instead, took care of her for as long as he stayed by her side.

She wanted to meet him and continue seeing him. It didn't matter how it happened, only that it did.

Himeko wasn't ready to lay down her memories of him.

So they bloomed and streamed through her mind.


End file.
